Dare Me, Not
by bittasummer
Summary: AU. Eli Goldsworthy: the popular misfit, is dared to sleep with Clare Edwards: the nerdy Christian girl. What happens when they actually connect? And what happens when someone sinister is out to get Clare? Eclare. Multi-chapter. Complete.
1. Intro: Dare Week

**Title:** Dare Me, Not

**Author: **Bittasummer19

**Summary:** AU of Clare's Junior year and Eli's Senior year.

During 'Dare Week' at Degrassi High, Eli Goldsworthy - the popular rebel - is dared by the anonymous 'Dare Overlord' to sleep with Clare Edwards - the nerdy loner - within the next month. If the dares are completed, the winner gets $500 posted through their locker by the unknown and secretive Dare Overlord. When Eli's financial situation becomes dire, he takes up the dare - and tries to bed Christian girl Clare. Clare's no angel herself though and she's not going to give in without a fight.

**Pairings:** Major: Eli/Clare. Minor: K.C/Jenna, Drew/Bianca, Dave/Alli, onesided Eli/Imogen, Adam/Fiona.

**Rating:** Mature

**Warnings:** Profanity, sexual themes, angst, minor violence.

**Notes:** This is AU and characters will be OOC. Also, Clare, Adam and Alli are sixteen year old Juniors. Eli, Drew, Dave, Jenna, K.C, Imogen and Bianca are seventeen year old Seniors. Also, in my universe, they don't have uniforms at Degrassi! Intro will be longer than regular chapters, just to introduce the idea of 'Dare Week' and getting a feel of how everything is in this AU story.

**Disclaimer:** Do not own Degrassi, or any characters, just the plotline, which I kind of borrowed from an episode of One Tree Hill but I did change it so it was a little more complex.

Slight sexual content in this one, nothing major.

Anyway, please love/hate/read/review and let me know what you think!

* * *

**Intro:**

"**Dare Week"**

**oOo**

**Monday**

"Dare Week is so stupid" Clare Edwards said as she turned a corner in Degrassi High with her best friend Adam Torres. They were both headed towards their lockers when a nearby poster on the bulletin board had reminded them that every year, just before Winter set in, an anonymous student or students initiated 'Dare Week'. Dare Week was the first week that it all started. If you survived the five school days (Monday to Friday) without getting anything anonymously slipped through your locker, you were safe - and probably mostly invisible to the entire student body population - but if you did get a dare slipped through your locker, you had two options; accept the dare and try win the $500 or ignore it; and wait to be punished before the school year was over. Last year, Cindy Collins ignored her dare; make out with a teacher and two months later, her lovely Porsche had been stolen - to this day, nobody knows who took it or where it is. The Dare Overlord - the penname used by the anonymous student or students - had never slipped a dare through Clare or Adam's locker and that's the way Clare liked it.

As Adam agreed with her, Clare was relieved she wasn't a part of that popularity schumck. It was completely ridiculous, how the 'populars' walked around Degrassi High, thinking they owned it. The ranks were simple and even as Clare opened her locker, she could hear them now, coming round the corner down the other end of the hallway. She didn't even need to look up to know what she'd see; the King and Queen of the populars; seniors K.C Guthrie and Jenna Middleton. Behind them was their gang of other popular, ignorant and ridiculously over ego inflated friends; Dave Turner, Drew Torres, Bianca DeSousa and Eli Goldsworthy. Adam and Drew - being stepbrothers - meant that Drew's group of horrible friends usually left Adam alone, but… That didn't apply for Clare. Whenever Jenna got the chance, she usually made a snarky comment Clare's way and then preceded to laugh shrilly like a hyena. It didn't bother Clare as much as it did last year. There were a lot of worse things Clare had been through; losing her sister to Kenya, her parent's divorce, her horrible and heartbreaking break up with He who must not be mentioned.

Adam was in the middle of asking Clare what she wanted to do at the weekend when she got a text message from Alli Bhandari, her other and only best friend. Alli was freaking out because the Dare Overlord had started posting out dares this morning. Alli had been thrilled enough to actually get one - to Alli, this meant she was being noticed and included, and to Clare, this was just another opportunity to make a fool of yourself in front of everyone. The dare was minimal, according to Alli. She had to sneak into Principal Simpson's office and take a video of her dancing on his desk to Nelly's song Hot In Here. Then she had to post it on Facerange for everyone to see. Clare didn't even bother to reply, she knew nothing good would come of that, and she knew that Alli wouldn't listen to her. Alli would be too afraid of what the Dare Overlord would do if she didn't at least try.

For the next five days, the dares would be distributed out throughout the school; Freshmen, and Sophomores were never included surprisingly enough. Only popular and well known Juniors and Seniors were dared. When the dares were finished given out during Dare Week, the student being dared had as much or little time to complete the dare, usually a deadline was included. Clare told Adam about Alli's dare as she closed her locker door over and saw the grin that spread throughout Adam's face. Of course Adam would find that funny, and he'd probably even enjoy that. Most of the guys, and even some of girls wouldn't mind seeing Alli shake her ass to some degrading sexist hip-hop song. This just led to further evidence that the Dare Overlord was a guy - probably a Senior.

Just as Adam was going to ask about weekend plans again, he was interrupted by a sneaky snarky little voice - one that could only belong to a blonde hair bitch with a surprisingly high IQ. "Did Clare did not get any dares this week? Shocking" Clare turned to see the face of Jenna Middleton, standing beside an awkward looking K.C Guthrie. The rest of the group was crowded behind them. Most of them just looked bored, but some of them - Dave Turner and Bianca DeSousa - liked this part, where they tortured younger students. It made them feel worthy - something they clearly lacked in life. "Don't worry, Clare" Jenna continued snidely, "To make you feel better, I'll dare you! I dare you…" she smirked, "To not be such a tightass" giggles and chuckles erupted.

"Wow Jenna, for a second there, I thought you would actually come up with something clever and smart" Clare looked disappointed, "For one, I'm glad my ass is so tight" she almost laughed at Jenna's fallen face but kept hers neutral and continued, "My ass doesn't loosen for anyone, unlike you. Hey, remind me how that STI test went? You were talking about it with Bianca in Chemistry don't you remember? Bianca is a bit of an expert when it comes to that" then she smirked widely. Clare could feel everyone within a 10 yard radius short stop at her reply.

"Jenna, what the fuck?" K.C turned on his girlfriend, "That was supposed to be a secret! Fucksake!" he turned on his heel and marched down the hallway, shaking his head from left to right with aggression. Drew and Dave instinctively went after him, but Eli and Bianca remained.

"You little bitch" Jenna took a step towards Clare and leaned in so she was inches away from her face. "I am going to-".

"If you must kiss me then please take a breath mint beforehand" Clare interrupted her. Then she whispered, "Your breath stinks of immaturity and stupidity".

"I will destroy you!" Jenna shrieked, slamming her palm onto Clare's locker door. Then she leaned back, smoothed down her skirt and flipped her hair. "Virgin" she sneered at Clare before strutting off down the hall, swinging her hips left to right.

"Tell anybody else about that conversation and I will gut you a like fish" Bianca glared menacingly before storming away. Clare was about to take a deep breath at the thought of surviving another Jenna-Bianca attack when she realised someone in their group was still standing there. Eli Goldsworthy. He was just standing there, eyes intently on Clare's, smiling slightly.

"What, no death threats Emo boy?" Clare felt the attention uncomfortably redden her cheeks.

"Eli!" Jenna's voice suddenly cried from down the hallway where she and Bianca were waiting on him.

"Not today, Virgin girl" Eli shrugged at Clare, chuckling. He turned and walked down the hallway, away from Clare and Adam. Clare let out a deep breath as she watched them disappear and turned back to Adam.

"You really weren't kidding when you said you weren't going to take anymore of Jenna's crap" Adam laughed nervously, eyes wide, "I'm so proud of you. Can you believe the way she looked at you? She was so shocked, just like everyone else was".

"Not everyone" Clare mumbled subconsciously. "Eli wasn't shocked".

"I guess not" Adam shrugged, closing his locker door over. "So, what do you want to do at the weekend?".

"My mom wants me to meet this guy she's dating, some old friend or whatever. I'm supposed to be meeting them at my Church's Friday bakeoff. Wanna come?" Clare replied.

"Sure" Adam nodded, "I might be late though, I have my therapist appointment Friday afternoon". Clare nodded understandingly. Only Clare, Drew and Adam's immediate family knew that Adam was a female-to-male transgender. Every two weeks, Adam checked in with his therapist, to talk about how he was feeling about the situation. It helped him a lot, especially with dealing on how to handle his family's reaction and also how to process his own feelings without becoming bitter or resentful.

The bell for Homeroom rang and Clare gave Adam the usual bored eye-roll. "I have English after Homeroom" Clare told Adam, "Meet you in Biology?". Adam nodded and they parted their separate ways. Just as Clare walked into her Homeroom, she banged into someone coming out and sighed when she realised it was Imogen Moreno. Clare and Imogen hated each other. It was funny - both social outcasts should have made them friends, especially since Imogen hated Jenna and K.C's rule, but Imogen had always had a problem with Clare and Clare never knew why.

"Can you watch where you're going, Junior?" Imogen asked snidely, "Some of us are trying to walk here". Imogen never seemed the full frontal bitch that Jenna was, she was the subtly stuck up bitch. Clare always got the impression of Imogen that she thought she was better than Clare, and in doing so, that meant she had the right to belittle the Junior whenever they had the misfortune of running into each other.

"You walked into me, Senior" Clare spat back. She was not in the mood to be harassed again.

"Well, look who grew a spine" Imogen folded her arms and laughed, "See you later Bible basher" she slipped past Clare and flitted off down the hallway. Clare rolled her eyes, walked into her Homeroom and settled down for the next fifteen minutes.

**oOo**

**Tuesday**

"See you guys at lunch" Jenna told Drew, Dave and Eli, "If you find K.C before me, fix the problem the stupid little nerd caused yesterday okay? He wouldn't answer his phone last night and I need to talk to him, urgently. Tell him to come find me" with that she turned the corner with Bianca and disappeared into the girl's toilet where they would probably skip Homeroom putting on make up and trying to look overtly beautiful.

Dave began, "K.C was not happy when we saw him this morning, he dodged all of Jenna's calls and even pretended he wasn't in when she showed up at his house. He was ranting about not being able to keep the secrets and lies anymore" he rolled his eyes, "Just as dramatic as Jenna, if not more. What's worse is when they break up, what the hell are we going to do? It'll be like they're the divorced parents and we're the kids. Jenna will expect us to spend lunches with her and K.C will expect us to spend weekends with him".

"Dude, it's Jenna and K.C" Drew shook his head, "That is not going to happen, they'll be together for a really long time you know. They'll probably graduate, go to college together, get married and have kids. That's the way it's supposed to be".

"Honestly, they'll probably kill each other before any of that happens" Eli chuckled as they stopped at his locker, "Jenna will kill K.C and then kill herself and make it look like a successful suicide pact, cause if she can't have him…".

"No one can" Drew finished for him. "That sounds like Jenna alright. Remember last year, when K.C started going out with this girl but he never let anyone of us meet her, I honestly thought he was hiding a gay romance or something, but then it was like a light bulb snapped and he started dating Jenna. That was just weird".

"There's no other way to describe them" Eli muttered as he opened his locker door to look for his history book. But then his gaze stopped and he stared straight into his locker with a dread filled knowing look. Lying on top of his books was a blue envelope. He knew that envelope. Guys got blue envelopes, girls got pink envelopes. "No fucking way" Eli grabbed the blue envelope and showed it to Drew and Dave.

"Oh, way!" Drew cried, grinning as Dave started doing the running man dance.

"You got dared, finally!" Drew cried, joining in on Dave's 'happy' dance. "Eli Goldsworthy got dared!" Drew started to sing as he continued to dance, throwing his arms above his head as Dave did the robot.

"I hate you both" Eli glared, his eyes going back to the blue envelope. "Whatever's in here, I'm not fucking doing it, I'm not anyone's stupid puppet".

"Dude, forget your pride. This is $500 slipped through your locker anonymously if you complete the dare, it's fucking brilliant" Dave said excitedly, "Now you can finally get Morty's engine fixed! That thing keeps breaking down every five minutes and ironically, we all fear for our lives every time we step inside that hearse".

"That's not what irony is, dude" Drew shook his head at Dave.

Eli pondered it slightly. "It's not doing the dare that's the problem, it's the fact that there's a person out there thinking they can tell me what to do as if I'm wearing strings on my bones".

"$500!" Dave repeated, "Come on Eli, get a grip. Unless…" he shrugged, "You're scared you actually don't have what it takes to do it".

Drew laughed.

Eli ripped the envelope open and pulled out the white letter. Printed from a computer on the letter were the words;

_**To Eli Goldsworthy,**_

_**Your dare is to sleep with Clare Edwards.**_

_**You have a month starting next Monday.**_

_**- From The Dare Overlord.**_

"Whoa, that's going to be tough" Dave laughed hollowly when he read the dare over Eli's shoulder. "Clare Edwards, the Junior? The prissy uptight virginal bible loving loner? Good luck with that. Even the amazing and wonderfully charming Eli Goldsworthy could never do that".

"We'll see" Eli shoved the letter and envelope into his bag. He slammed his locker door over and looked at Drew cautiously, "Still think this dare is so great?".

Drew frowned, "Me? Why are you asking me like I care?".

"Clare Edwards is your brother's best friend" Eli replied slowly, as if Drew should have already known that. "Sometimes I think they're dating".

"Dude, she's Adam's best friend, she's not mine" Drew shrugged carelessly, "Go for it and get the $500, because you seriously need Morty fixed whether you like it or not, that thing is a death hazard - pun intended. And no way Adam's dating tightass Clare Edwards. Adam likes Bianca".

"Have you ever been dared?" Eli asked Dave and Drew.

Dave nodded, "Last year I was dared to streak across the Cheerleading tryouts naked; easiest $500 I ever got".

"I was dared last year to kiss Imogen Moreno in the school janitor's closest" Drew smirked, "Easiest $500 I ever made as well".

"I guess it could be kind of fun" Eli shrugged. "Only three days left of Dare Week. Do you think you'll get dared again?".

"Probably not" Drew shook his head, "Hardly ever happens twice in a row. Juniors and Seniors only, apparently the Dare Overlord has a heart for little insecure fourteen and fifteen year olds".

"How long has this Dare Week been going on for?" Eli frowned suddenly.

"Over twenty years" Dave replied, smirking proudly. "When my dad was in his Senior year, the role of Dare Overlord was passed onto him when the current Senior Dare Overlord graduated. The current Dare Overlord picks a new one before they leave and they carry it on. Apparently the Dare Overlord only knows who their successor is, they never know who their predecessor was. When the current Dare Overlord is about to leave, they choose the next Dare Overlord by planting an envelope with a USB of everything they need to know, old dares and possibly new ones. Helps them keep track of everything. It's so secretive even my dad won't tell me who he picked after him".

Drew was finding this fascinating while Eli just looked bored enough to gouge out his eyeballs.

"So" Drew said suddenly to Eli, "Are you gonna do the dare?".

"Hell, I'll do it if you don't" Dave laughed, "She's hot, even if she is a prude".

"I guess I'll think about it" Eli shrugged, non-committal, "Don't mention this to anyone, okay?" his friends nodded but that didn't completely put Eli at ease.

"Think fast" Drew patted Eli on the back as he and Dave left him for Homeroom.

**oOo**

**Wednesday**

Eli wandered into the library, a place he often visited during his free periods. Eli knew he wasn't like his friends; he had messy jet black hair, wore black jeans, combat boots, a grey t-shirt and a black leather jacket. He knew his hearse and his taste in music were odd to the 'populars' but accepted none the less. It was last year when Eli had been accepted into Jenna and K.C's group. Eli was new to town and the week before he started Degrassi High, he went a late night drive with Morty and came across three naked guys strapped each to a lamppost. This was how Eli first met K.C, Drew and Dave. Eli cut them free and let them hide in his hearse, each giving them a ride to their houses to get clothes. K.C, Drew and Dave - who were all on the basketball team - had been invited out to party by a rival basketball team and not wanting to look weak, they accepted. But as it turned out, the night went from bad to worse. K.C, Drew and Dave got so drunk, each of them was easily tied to a lamppost, naked. Eli didn't even ask what had happened, he just helped them, because he knew what it was like to be victimised.

The guys were eternally grateful to Eli for saving them from humiliation and Jenna was eternally grateful for bringing K.C to the Dot where she had been wanting to talk to him all night. Eli never questioned where he fit in with his friends - he just did. He was closest to Drew and Dave, tolerated Jenna, mostly ignored Bianca and had a somewhat mutual friendship with K.C. When he had his first day at Degrassi, he couldn't believe the group he had made friends with. The _Populars_. At Eli's old school, he would have been the one getting them drunk and tying them naked to a lamppost, but, as Eli slowly realised, he could count on Drew and Dave, just like they could count on him. Eli was browsing through the Edgar Allan Poe section when he saw her. Clare Edwards, sitting at a library table reading a book. Knowing he was hidden behind a shelf, he knew it was safe to look at her. She had pale skin, short curly auburn hair, crystal blue eyes and peach pink natural lips. His eyes drifted downwards, taking in her soft curves and delicate disposition.

She really was quite beautiful, Eli realised. He'd noticed her before, of course. Last year, it had been painful to watch Jenna torture her endlessly, with it ending in Clare crying or Clare running away. But then somewhere, in the middle of everything, Clare changed. She became this sweet confident girl who didn't take crap from Jenna anymore. She fired back and every time she did, Eli just liked her more and more. It would have been a lie to say he hadn't fantasised about her during his most intimate moments that either contained him in the shower or him in his bed - but he never ever thought he should act on those thoughts. Dave was right; this was Clare Edwards - the bible loving nun who would probably die a virgin, but not because she wasn't good enough for anyone, but because she was too good, and Eli felt that Clare knew that deep down.

Even though Eli did think that almost everyone at this school should get stuffed, and he did have a dark side, he knew he couldn't pursue Clare like that. He knew he could, if he wanted too but… He didn't want to get to know her like that. He'd been wanting to get to know her for a while and secretly she was his favourite thing to think about, when he was alone and feeling lonely, but like this? Say they did have sex and Clare was okay with it - which he doubted a hundred percent - could he really take the $500 and not feel an ounce of guilt? Without really knowing why, Eli walked up to Clare, smiling that she hadn't even realised because of her deep attachment to her book. She was reading Catcher In The Rye by J.D Salinger - something he hadn't expected. That didn't seem like Clare's kind of book, but Eli realised that he didn't know Clare, at all.

"Is this seat free?" Eli suddenly broke the silence and Clare's head snapped up to his eyes. She glanced at Eli's hand gesturing to the chair next to hers. Did he want to take the chair somewhere else or did he - Eli Goldsworthy, the popular Senior - actually want to sit down next to her? Clare shook her head internally. Of course he just wanted the chair.

"Take it" Clare said blandly, returning back to her book.

Eli frowned, "No I meant can I sit here?". He tried to keep a neutral face but he could tell he was coming off confused.

"Why?" Clare asked abruptly, frowning herself. She didn't even realise how rude she sounded - probably because whenever she came face to face with a popular, she immediately adopted what Adam liked to call her 'bitch persona'. Clare just liked to call it not taking anyone's crap anymore.

Eli decided the only way to get Clare not to bite his head off was to be completely honest. Well, not completely but almost. "I liked the way you talked back to Jenna the other day, that was really cool".

"So I'm not 'Virgin Girl' anymore?" Clare raised her eyebrow, almost rudely, with bit a hint of a smirk.

"That depends" Eli slid into the chair this time without asking, "Am I still 'Emo Boy'?".

"I don't know what you are" Clare said honestly.

"Me neither" Eli shrugged. He grinned widely which pulled a small smile from Clare's lips. "A smile!" Eli looked triumphant. "You should smile more often, Blue Eyes".

"I wish I had things to smile about" Clare murmured quietly, but Eli heard it. Clare ignored the swooping sensation in her stomach as Eli's 'Blue Eyes' nickname.

"And you think you don't?" Eli asked, his eyebrows knotting together in confusion. Eli had only found out a few things about Clare from last year. She had an older sister called Darcy who left for Kenya. She lived with her parents, went to Church every Sunday and according to Drew, hung about with Adam every weekend, occasionally seeing her other best friend Alli. Eli never meant to sound judgemental but he knew that Clare had taken it that minute the second she narrowed her eyes.

"How would you know?" Clare said defensively, "You don't know anything about me. Just go back to your lame cool stuck up friends, listen to your loser rock, snort whatever drugs you take and leave me the hell alone okay?".

"I don't know anything about you?" Eli could feel his anger rising to the brim, "You're a typical good girl who never dates out of her comfort zone and spends her time in a room full of books! What's not to know about from that? But if you think you know _anything _about me, then I guess you're not as smart as you think you are!" he stood up, "Why don't _you _go back to your cool stuck up friends and adorable parents and ask God for some actual human emotions!".

Clare copied his actions and also stood up. "My 'adorable' parents are divorced, you jackass! I haven't seen them in the same room since they told me they were going to separate! And as for my friends, they could find self completion doing something as boring as cleaning a room. It's pathetic that you and your friends need to make other people feel like shit to feel good about yourselves!" she finished, inches away from him.

They were both standing so close, breathing heavily against each other until Eli's gaze drifted down to her lips. Clare felt her stomach churn with angst. How could her pulse be racing in a dangerously good way for someone who made her so angry? It was like she was a firework and he was the spark. Thrills jolted their skin as Eli subconsciously came towards her and Clare reacted by moving closer to him. It was weird, their movements were like magnets, drawing each other in. Clare smelled of fresh strawberries and Eli smelled of cinnamon pinecones. Their breaths mingled and Eli's lips ghosted over Clare's, coming so close but never daring to touch. Clare closed her eyes, almost wincing at being so close to Eli but not having his warmth against hers.

She was losing herself, in the middle of the school library to a guy who infuriated her and she didn't even care. Eli's fingertips darted over Clare's curls and pushed them away from her face. Clare sighed softly and Eli slowly leaned in so that his body was brushing against the flustered Junior. Clare's legs hit the edge of the sturdy table and she was glad she had something to rest against as Eli pushed every inch of him against her. To keep herself balanced, she lightly rested her hands against Eli's shoulders as he came closer. Eli's hands slithered up to Clare's waist, his fingertips brushing against the under wire of Clare's bra through the floral dress she was wearing that day. Clare gasped; even shocked herself that she liked the way he touched her and the way her nipples painfully hardened.

Clare's soft gasp made the space in Eli's groin area completely evaporate. He wondered how Clare would react when she felt his hardened erection against where her own crotch was and when she did, an ache announced itself between the middle of Clare's thighs; something that made her head roll back a little bit and her lips part. Eli almost growled hungrily at the sight before him. He knew this would have to end soon but what he didn't expect was the way Clare brutally pushed her pelvic area against his erection, as if trying to grab something that kept disappearing from her reach. Eli had to swallow his own moan of pleasure before someone realised what they were doing. Clare buried her head in Eli's chest as she jerked her hips again, feeling spurred on by Eli's on growing erection.

Eli wrapped one hand in her hair as her head disappeared inside his warm open leather jacket. God, what the hell was happening? He and Clare Edwards were dry-humping in the middle of the school library. Clare's arms slid up Eli's back under his leather jacket and dug her nails in to get a better grip. When she pushed her hot core up towards him with the help of her grip against his back, Eli pushed back this time, continuing to rub himself more easily against Clare. Eli pulled backwards a bit, bringing his head down to meet Clare's gaze. She swallowed and the sight of her with puffy lips, in a lust-glaze daze made him proud he could have that kind of affect on her. A hot pool from her own crotch was starting to make itself known to him. So Virginal Clare Edwards could get herself wet and horny if she wanted to. Eli licked his thick lips and Clare bit her own at the sight of him, gazing down at her with a kind of look nobody had given her before.

The library doors opened and instinctively Eli stepped backwards as a couple of oblivious students walked on past them. Clare - free from Eli's intoxication - suddenly realised the horror of the situation. She gasped, her chest panting as she ran a hand through her hair. Eli never took his eyes off of her and the sight of her leaning against the table as she panted made the blood rush south again. Clare licked her lips and even shocked herself at the pulsating hunger between her thighs. Nobody had made her feel _that_. What the hell was that? Was that even normal? She was starting to forget why she was ever pissed off at him. Just the way he kept on looking at her… It thrilled her in the same way that she clearly thrilled him, if his groin area was anything to go by.

The bell suddenly rang out and Clare almost jumped. She took another deep breath and tried to speak, reminding Eli that the next class she had was one that they both shared - which did not help the situation at all. "We have Chemistry" Clare tried to sound normal but her throat was dry and husky. Eli smirked at her words. Oh yes, they did have Chemistry, in more ways than one. She grabbed her bag and walked forwards, stopping just before she passed Eli, whose expression or stance had not changed. How could Eli Goldsworthy have this kind of affect on her? She was wearing a promise ring for fucksake.

"Tell the teacher I'll be a little late" Eli smirked hoarsely.

"Why?" Clare's flushed cheeks made her frown all the more delicious.

"I have somewhere I have to go" Eli grabbed his bag from the table behind Clare and leaned in so close to her that his mouth brushed against her ear as he said "Don't worry, I'll be thinking about you the entire time" with that, he turned and walked away, heading out of the library. Clare forced her legs to starting walking and she left the library just in time to catch Eli sliding inconspicuously into the Men's Toilets. The heat made her neck and cheeks burn up again at the thought of what he was going to do in there.

His last words made the ache grow stronger and the pull of her stomach tighten so much that it hurt. She wanted to follow him inside and…

Clare snapped herself from those kind of thoughts and turned to walk down the hallway towards Chemistry.

She waited anxiously for Eli, but he never showed.

**oOo**

**Thursday**

Eli never showed to school on Thursday. He told Bullfrog - his father - that he hadn't been feeling well and thought he had caught some kind of bug at school. Bullfrog allowed him to stay off, because Eli was hardly ever off from school. This was just a lie, to avoid having to see Clare - or answer his friends about his impending dare. His and Clare's encounter the previous day had startled him in a different way it had startled Clare. Eli wasn't surprised his body had reacted that way to her - he already knew she turned him on, but what startled him was the way Clare had reacted. She'd been so willing to encourage him, so willing to finish him - he'd been surprised he hadn't gone overboard before the bell rang. That's what got him. He also knew that her reaction to him would be what was freaking her out.

Clare was a virgin after all, she wasn't used to rubbing herself against guys to get either of them off, and he could tell the minute she had a clear head, she knew she'd gone too far - with herself and Eli. Now Clare would probably avoid him forever and never speak to him ever again. Or worse, she'd walk around paranoid that at any minute, Eli would tell everyone. After all, in this society, if a guy got anything from a girl, it was cool and he was 'the man', but the minute a girl got anything sexual, she was a whore, the town bicycle, the birthplace of STI's and abortions. Eli was dodging another phone call from Drew when he sank into his bed and let his thoughts drift back to Clare. She was sexy, and she didn't even realise it, but she was also arrogant and a little bit stuck up herself.

He already knew he couldn't go through the dare - not that he couldn't physically because this was Clare and Eli could already feel himself getting attached and not even because he didn't think Clare would respond because she probably would - but because he knew that if he wanted to know Clare _at all_, if he wanted to form an inch of trust with her, this wasn't the way to go about it. He walked downstairs, intending to head for the fridge when he saw Bullfrog sitting on the living room couch, staring at a letter on the table in front of him. Bullfrog was holding a bottle of beer and looking utterly depressed. Eli frowned and approached his dad, cautious already.

"Bullfrog?" Eli asked, "What's wrong? I thought you stopped drinking".

"We're drowning, son" Bullfrog said lazily through slurred tipsy words. "We're fucking drowning".

Eli stepped forwards and grabbed the letter from the table harshly. He glared at the words on the letter. "How did this happen?" Eli almost snapped at his dad but then remembered he shouldn't be so harsh. Ever since Cece, Eli's mother, had left them when Eli was twelve, it had almost always been a struggle to support the house maintenance, bills, and other utility bills, but Bullfrog always managed to pull it off. Almost always anyway.

"Life happened" Bullfrog spat then found his comment extremely hilarious with bellowing laughter.

"What does this mean?" Eli shook his head at the state of his dad.

"It means I have a month to pay that outstanding balance or this house will be repossessed by the bank, sold at auction and we-" he gestured between himself and Eli, "-Will be homeless" he started to suddenly laugh hollowly again.

"How is any of this funny?" Eli roared. "Get your act together, do something!".

"I fucking have, Eli!" Bullfrog barked. "I fucking have! For too long I've gone on by myself, and it's not like I can blame you… You're just a kid, but people cost money, and money costs time, and we're out of fucking time now".

"I'll get a job" Eli said determinedly, "After school, and weekends. That's it. You can pick up another shift and maybe Aunt Maggie will-".

"That's what I've been meaning to talk to you about" Bullfrog interrupted, "When the bank forecloses on the house, you're going to stay with your Aunt Maggie and I'm going to enrol in the Navy" the way he said it made Eli want to start crying and laughing at the same time.

"Aunt Maggie?" Eli screamed, "She lives in fucking New York! I'm not leaving Degrassi, I literally _just _got here. Do not do this to me, Bullfrog! And the Navy? Do you seriously think they're going to take a loser drunk like you?".

Suddenly the beer bottle in Bullfrog's hand left his palm, flew across the room and smacked Eli right on the forehead. Eli stumbled backwards, screaming out a string of curse words as he looked down to the floor. The bottle was intact, so no glass had gotten anywhere. His head just pounded like fuck.

"Fuck, Eli" Bullfrog gasped, "Oh god, son, please don't hate me. I'm so sorry" he got off the couch but Eli was already storming up the stairs. He got into his bathroom and slammed the door behind him as he checked his head in the mirror.

On the left hand side of his forehead was a gash, a bloody cut that already looked red and purple at the same time. Eli left his cut untouched, knowing there was nothing he could do for it but wait until it healed. He left the bathroom, stormed into his bedroom and made sure it was locked before preceding to blast horrible screamo music. What the fuck was he going to do now? He couldn't live in fucking New York, where they basically hated everything about Canada. He could barely stand Bullfrog's sister Maggie, let alone _live _with her. He couldn't leave Degrassi. He wouldn't leave Degrassi.

So Eli had a month. He would open up a savings account and get a job. He wouldn't spend any of his wages. He would put them in a savings account and hope that by the time that the month was up, he had enough to rent his own apartment, deposit included. Taking up any other jobs would help pay the rent and he could even look for roommates to help split the money. Eli was seventeen, soon to be eighteen, it's not like Bullfrog could stop him. So that was the plan.

But Bullfrog was right. Time was running out. What if it took Eli another two weeks to find a job? That would never be enough time to save for rent _and _deposit. Eli had a churning feeling and a heavy heart as he knew what he had to do. He grabbed his laptop from the floor and turned it on as he took his phone out of his pocket and dialled the number that had called him 23 times that day. It rang twice and suddenly Drew answered.

"_Hey loser. Finally reply to me. What the hell is going on? You're freaking everybody out"._

"Sorry, threw up this morning. Had some bad hot tamale last night. Real bad" Eli replied as he started up Facerange and looked for one of his 'friends'. He had friended Clare last year and she had accepted. When he found her profile, he realised she hadn't updated her status in twenty-four hours.

"_Whatever dude, hope you're feeling better for tomorrow. We're hitting the Dot like usual. You in?"._

"Maybe" Eli frowned as he hit the '_Would You Like To Message Clare Edwards?_' button on her profile. A private chat between came up and Eli's fingers hesitated on his keyboard. "I'm waiting to see how some things pan out".

"_Why does that sound like the typical crazy scheming Eli that we all know and love? Wait, does that mean you've accepted your dare. You're going to try to sleep with Clare?"._

"'Fraid so" Eli murmured back. "But don't tell anyone, okay? I'll never get anywhere if she finds out. Tell Dave to keep his mouth shut. I don't need Jenna using this against Clare to hurt her, like the vindictive bitch she is".

"_Meow! Okay, I'll tell Dave and we'll keep quiet. So, how are you gonna play this one? Hot and horny? Sweet and seductive? Tortured and lonely?"._

"With my obvious harm and wit" Eli replied, smirking at the thought of a flustered Clare Edwards again. He began typing on the screen and pulled back to reread what he had written. "Anyway, got to go Drew. See you tomorrow".

"_No problemo Goldsworthy. Catch you"._

Eli tossed his phone to the side and glanced back cautiously to the computer screen. He bit his lip and hit the 'send' button. Then he sat back and took a deep breath, telling himself over and over again that the outcome definitely outweighed the means. His message read;

_**Eli Goldsworthy says: **__Clare, I know you're probably freaked out by what happened yesterday and I'm sorry because I know we both went too far but… I felt a connection with you that I haven't felt with anyone in a really long time. I'm also sorry for snapping at you as well, it wasn't you, it was anger displacement. Can we try be friends? I think you would really like me, because I already like you. And besides, you have really pretty eyes._

It had been twenty minutes until Eli got a reply. He didn't think he was going to get one, and he halfway between sleep and getting up to go downstairs and make himself something to eat when the heard the familiar Facerange 'ping'. Someone had messaged him. He prayed to a God he didn't believe in to let it be Clare and not Drew or Dave. When he clicked on his messages, his heart sped up involuntarily at the sight of Clare Edward's name with a little number (1) icon beside the message. She was online. His throat started to go dry at the thought of her reading his messages and biting her lip in that little innocent way she does.

_**Clare Edwards says: **__I'm sorry too, I never do anything like that, EVER! It got a little out of control, but I'm as much to blame as you are. Can we be friends, really? Considering how mine hate yours and yours hate me? I'm sorry about what I said earlier also. It was stupid. And stop telling me I have pretty eyes, I do not._

_**Eli Goldsworthy says: **__Of course we can be friends. If you want, we can be secret friends. I'll talk to you in the library and you can insult me in the hallways if you want. I'll call you 'Virgin Girl' and you'll call me 'Emo Boy'. No one will be the wiser. I'd rather be secret friends than not be friends at all. And yes, you do have pretty eyes!_

_**Clare Edwards says:**__ You're sweet, Eli. Sweeter than anyone could have expected and I'm sorry I judged you, again. But… I don't want to be 'secret' friends, that's just weird and too complicated. Besides, even though you think we have this connection, we rub each other the wrong way (okay I did not mean that pun, but it fits with the situation) and set each other off (again, pun not intended), I'm like chalk and you're cheese, I'm oil, you're water, I'm heaven… You're hell._

_**Eli Goldsworthy says:**__ You're just about the only person besides my dead grandmother who can make me literally laugh out loud. Seriously I'm dying here. You've killed me with your unintended humour. I'm dead. This is your fault. But it's our differences that are so great. I've never met someone who was so unlike me and just… got me, you know? If you don't like me, then say so, I'll never bother you again and we don't have to be friends._

_**Clare Edwards says:**__ You're right. Let's be friends. I have to go soon, my bath awaits me. Why weren't you in school today?_

_**Eli Goldsworthy says:**__ Bad hot tamale last night, made me throw up, but I'll be in tomorrow. Did I miss much today?_

_**Clare Edwards says:**__ Ouch, hope you're feeling better! Not really. Principal Simpson caught Fitz and the other stoners smoking round the back of the school today. They got suspended for the rest of the day and tomorrow. Such a stupid punishment considering they don't want to be at school at all._

_**Eli Goldsworthy says:**__ Completely agree, what a waste. They're always causing trouble for the basketball team. Hope you enjoy that bath…_

_**Clare Edwards says: **__Lol. Sure you do! Don't worry, I'll be thinking about you the entire time. **[**__**Clare Edwards is Offline]**_

Eli closed his laptop over with a growing smirk. Had she just really repeated his own words to him… in that flirty way he had? Goosebumps ran all over his skin as he thought about a naked wet Clare, thinking about him. Was she serious when she said that? Was she actually going to think about him while she was in the bath? Eli groaned when all his blood started to travel south, again. How the hell was he going to start off with Clare as just 'friends' when his other little 'friend' couldn't keep it in the jeans zipper for five minutes? As Eli made his way to the bathroom, he turned on the hot shower and stepped inside, letting his own urges take control. He knew he had to win, but he already felt himself losing.

**oOo**

**Friday**

Adam couldn't believe the way his friend had literally skipped into school this particular morning. Adam assumed that Clare was just happy that after today, Dare Week would be officially over and most students could go back to doing whatever it was that they did. The students that needed to deal with dares were never people that Clare bothered with - until now of course, with Alli being roped into the ridiculous games and all. But Adam was of course wrong. Clare was blushing and grinning and flustered because she had been messaging a certain raven haired punk themed guy last night who sent her over the edge at just the touch of his fingertips. Clare had been freaking out all Wednesday night and all of Thursday - so much so that she had gone to Church to pray and be purged of her sins. When she returned from Church and turned on her computer, she was shocked to find that Eli had chosen to private message her.

At first it seemed ridiculous that Eli would want anything from her - let alone to be her friend - but he did. He well and truly did and Clare couldn't stop smiling. It was literally infectious. If Eli was a disease, she was already halfway there to catching it. Her eyes subconsciously scanned the hallway for him and she was halfway in and out of Adam's conversation about what Clare was going to do when she finally met her mother's newest boyfriend. Clare 'Mmmm' back at Adam before opening her locker door and checking her reflection in the mirror she had glued there Freshman year.

"You seem oddly happy and weirdly distracted" Adam said, jolting Clare from her trance. "What's going with you?".

"Nothing. Don't be silly. Why are you asking that?" Clare shook her head, already seeing how utterly out of control she was coming off. God, she had to get a grip. She had already been down this road with He who must not be mentioned and she wasn't about to do it again. And anyway, that was different. Eli was now her friend.

"Okay, whatever" Adam rolled his eyes at his adorable freak of a friend and then his eyes stopped suddenly when he looked inside Clare's locker. His mouth parted slightly in shock and Clare - who was still checking herself out in the mirror - hadn't even noticed Adam's reaction or what was inside her locker. "Clare, a dare".

"What dare?" Clare asked as she began to put on some lip-gloss.

"Clare, a dare" Adam said more stressfully this time.

"Okay fine, we can dare each other to do something stupid, it's pointless but if you want to feel included fine" Clare turned away and fluffed up her hair, "Personally I don't see why everyone wants to be a part of Dare Week. I mean $500 is great and everything but what about self pride? Self worth? Do none of these things matter anymore?".

"For god sake, Clare" Adam leaned past his friend, reached into her locker and grabbed the disgustingly pink envelope from it's confines. He brought it up to Clare's eyes and watched her face fall. "You got a dare, Clare" Adam whispered slowly.

"I got a dare" Clare whispered back. Her fingers touched the envelope softly. "What the hell? Why did I get a dare?".

"Open it" Adam pressured her.

When Clare flipped the back of the envelope over to open it up the words; _**'TRUST ME, YOU'LL WANT TO OPEN THIS ALONE' **_were scrawled across in black marker. Clare showed it to Adam and they both shared a worried glance. The bell went off for Homeroom and Clare closed her locker door over, her other hand still clutching the envelope.

"I have to go, text me the second you open that" Adam said to Clare before rushing off.

Clare pressed her back against her locker door and tore open the envelope, her heart beating so fast she thought it might burst from her chest. The letter inside held the printed words of;

_**To Clare Edwards,**_

_**Your dare is to visit Sticky Ricky's at 11PM and ask for the Midnight Special.**_

_**And if you don't, I'll make sure the whole school finds out about little Gracie Torres. You have one week starting this Monday.**_

_**- From The Dare Overlord.**_

Without even realising, hot tears pierced her eyes as she reread the dare. How the hell could the 'Dare Overlord' have any idea about Adam being transgender? The only ones who knew were herself, Drew and Adam's immediate family. Even though there was some slight sibling rivalry between the two Torres boys, Drew would never do anything like this to hurt Adam, right? He the one who usually made sure everyone left Adam alone. Clare shoved the dare inside her bag and tried to force the tears away. She couldn't let the 'Dare Overlord' know they'd won. Whoever they were, they clearly didn't care about hurting anyone's feelings and this just made Clare all the angrier.

Just as Clare turned to walk into Homeroom, someone barged right into her shoulder and she glared up at the annoyingly smug and somewhat stupid Imogen Moreno. Imogen seemed to be everywhere whenever Clare was at low points in her life. Imogen gave Clare a snide smile and said tauntingly, "Something the matter Clare-bear?" she giggled and strutted off, provoking Clare to scream after her, "Bitch!". Imogen gave Clare the finger and disappeared round the corner. Clare sighed and shook her head. She spun around and almost banged right somebody again. This time it turned out to be somebody she didn't mind banging into. Eli Goldsworthy.

"Clare Edwards screaming 'Bitch' at a Senior" Eli smirked, "Wow, that's a little impressive".

Clare smiled under Eli's stare, until her eyes flitted to his forehead and she caught something beneath his messy fringe. A bruise. A giant bruise and a healing cut. Without even realising what she was doing, Clare reached forwards and brushed her fingers against his hair, revealing the bruise. Eli snapped away from her and moved his hair back to cover up the cut.

"Eli, what was that?" Clare asked dryly.

"Nothing" Eli shook his head. He stared right at her for a moment or so until he concluded, "You were about to cry just there".

Clare looked a little taken back by how he could have guessed that. Then she sighed and glanced down at his leather jacket, wanting to feel underneath it again like she had two days ago. She sighed softly and whispered sadly "I have to go to Homeroom".

"Or" Eli leaned into her and let his fingers gently move against hers, "We could go hide out in Morty for the first period and you can tell me why you were about to cry".

"Skip class?" Clare's eyes widened incredulously.

Eli poked his tongue out at her and smirked, nodding. Then he let his fingers interlock with hers as he gently guided her towards the front door. He was surprised when he didn't feel her pulling away or rejecting the idea. In fact, she was laughing and smiling as they left Degrassi High and headed for the car park.

"I have always hated your car" Clare admitted as she got in the passenger seat.

Eli mocked offence, "Take that back or Morty will never let you out".

"Guess I'm never leaving then" Clare said softly and their eye contact made everything heat up again. How could you be friends with someone you had so much sexual tension with? It was like near to impossible.

"Tell me why you wanted to cry" Eli whispered, inching closer to Clare slightly.

"Only if you tell me where that bruise came from" Clare whispered back.

"Friendship doesn't include bargaining or blackmail, Clare" Eli replied emotionlessly.

After a silent moment, Clare looked up and realised Eli was much closer than before. She swallowed the lump in her throat and began, "I got a dare, from the 'Dare Overlord' and they want me to-well, I'm not too sure to be honest, but they want me to do something that's probably not great, and if I don't then a very close friend of mine is going to be hurt; in a very public, very horrible, very humiliating way".

"What's the dare?" Eli asked and Clare hadn't missed how Eli's eyes had darkened quite uncontrollably for some unknown reason.

"I've to go to a place called _Sticky Ricky's_, at 11PM, some time within this coming Monday and next Sunday and I've to ask for the 'Midnight Special'" Clare shrugged as she explained. She really had no idea what _Sticky Ricky's_ was or what the 'Midnight Special' was either. She would have to go home and do some intense internet research.

Eli's lips went into a thin line of anger, "Clare, _Sticky Ricky's_ is a cowboy themed strip club. It's this seedy little bar behind a back alleyway in town" his frowned intensified, "You can't go there".

"Well, I have to" Clare shrugged like it was obvious, "I can't let my friend be hurt when I could have done something. I mean, I guess I'm not thrilled about it being a strip club but all I'm doing is walking in and asking for a lap dance, right? Better to let _Sticky Ricky's_ think I'm this twenty one year old sexually frustrated lesbian, then to let Adam-" she stopped abruptly when she realised she shouldn't have said Adam's name.

"I won't even ask" Eli reassured her instinctively. "But still, I don't want you walking into that horrible place all alone and guys thinking they can…" he trailed off, shaking his head. "And where exactly are you going to get a fake ID anyway?".

"You can hook me up" Clare smirked suddenly and laughed at Eli's raised eyebrows. "Right? You can, right?".

"Of course I can" Eli smirked back, "And for you, I'll even do it for free… On one condition" he added, "I obviously need to come with you".

"Oh you _need _to come with me?" Clare teased him, grinning, "Because you just _need _to see a hot oily naked girl rub herself all over me? You just _need _to see that, huh?".

Eli chuckled. "Not really. More like _have _to. I _have _to see that!" he smiled at Clare's infectious laughter. Once her laughter had died down, she came closer to him again, biting her lip. His arm was rested on the back of her seat and he knew she was coming closer because of some instinctual heat he felt too.

"Eli" Clare whispered and the sound made his eyes darken with lust. Clare pushed past that and let her fingers slide cautiously inside his leather jacket, feeling his simple grey t-shirt and the warm skin beneath it. "If we're going to be friends, you need to start opening up to me as well" Clare said so quietly she wasn't even sure Eli had heard it.

Then Eli let out a deep breath, his ribs moving with air under Clare's settled fingers. "My dad - Bullfrog - he does this thing, this routine. It started when my mom left us for another guy and another family" he swallowed the pain and forced himself to continue rather than break down, "Bullfrog drinks to cope and then he's fine again. Then he'll spiral and drink and then he's fine again. It's just something he does. And last night, he got drunk, I got cheeky and his beer bottle landed on my head".

Clare looked completely horrified. "Oh my god. Does this happen a lot?".

"No" Eli shook his head, "Not really. Usually he just gets so drunk I just leave him downstairs to sleep it off on the couch, he doesn't usually get violent. Last night just tipped him over the edge" he pondered about whether to tell Clare about his financial situation. He felt all his barriers come down when Clare scooted closer towards him and wrapped both her arms around his waist. "Our house is going to get repossessed in a month's time if my dad doesn't pay the outstanding balance. He says he's going to join the Navy and that I'll have to go live with my Aunt Maggie in New York" he glanced at Clare sadly.

"I wouldn't want you to go" Clare whispered against his chest.

"Me either" Eli said dryly. "That's why I've got another plan. I'm going to look for a job, look for two jobs even, and then by the time my house is repossessed I'll have enough to rent an apartment, maybe even flat share. I won't have to move to New York and Bullfrog can do whatever he wants" the pang in his chest reminded him he had only started this thing with Clare to get the $500 he so desperately needed. God, it didn't even feel like that anymore, not that it ever did. How was he falling for her so fast? He had almost forgot. Almost.

"That sounds like a great plan, Eli" Clare murmured sleepily and just at the thought of clever amazing Clare Edwards thinking his plan was great, Eli suddenly felt his stomach tumble with joy. "I'll help you look for a job" she settled into his side comfortably.

"Really?" Eli glanced down at her.

"Of course. That's what friends do" Clare smiled against his t-shirt. Both of their hearts sank at the word 'friends'.

"So" Eli let out a deep breath to calm his racing heartbeat at having her clinging to him like this kind of intimacy was normal. "What are you doing tonight?".

"My Church is having a cake Bakeoff to raise money for children in Africa, it's the same charity my sister went to Kenya with" Clare pulled away slightly but still remained close, "Me and my mom have got our own stall and all these cupcakes planned out" she smiled childishly, "I'll also be meeting my mom's boyfriend for the first time so that should be exciting" she rolled her eyes. "What are you doing?".

"Drew invited me to the Dot" Eli shrugged boredly. "I don't know, it's not really my thing".

"Come tonight, to the Bakeoff" Clare smiled.

"That's not really my thing, either" Eli replied, smirking. He added, "Save me a cupcake?". Clare nodded and Eli added, "Where's your phone?".

Clare pulled her phone out of her jeans pocket. "Here. Why?".

Eli reached out and took it from her without her even having time to react. "I'm just adding my number to your contacts" he smirked and Clare grinned back. "Then I'm going to text myself with your number" after another moment, Eli's phone started to beep and he handed Clare her phone back.

"Thank you" Clare said gingerly as she put her phone away. She sighed softly and said, "We should probably go back inside now. I can't skip anymore classes".

"Me neither" Eli shook his head sadly. He got out of the Driver's seat "We should have more Morty conversations, don't you think?".

"Oh definitely maybe" Clare replied as she got out the passenger seat. As the pair walked rather closely back into Degrassi, they had no idea they were being watched by a pair of undetected eyes.


	2. The Bakeoff Confessional

**A/N: **Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Seriously made my day, didn't think many people would respond to be honest! Man, some of you are too damn smart as well. I'm not giving anything away. Lips are sealed. I've got a plot, a twist and an ending already in my head and up to chapter 6 already written. If people continue to like this then I'll be updating every 2 days! Let me know what you beautiful people think! Also, I haven't been on in ages so I'm not sure if people want me to respond to their reviews? I will do it, because I love reviewers, but only if you want me to, I often feel like I'm annoying people when I do... Anyway! Not much Eli in this one but don't worry, he and Clare are pretty much the main focus from chapter 2 onwards. Review pretties? :)

* * *

**DARE ME, NOT**

**Chapter One:**

"**The Bakeoff Confessional"**

**oOo**

Clare avoided Adam for the rest of the morning and knew that he had his therapist appointment in the afternoon. She texted him to meet her at the Church at 8PM and went home to help her mother begin to bake. Friday was already rolling in fast and Clare still had the displeasure of the dare at the back of her mind. Going to a strip club definitely wasn't ever on her agenda, but Eli said he would get her a fake ID and what was better was that he wanted to help, he wanted to come with her. As she shoved the cupcake mix into the oven, she realised that she was really starting to like Eli. Like really like him. As more than a friend and Clare could feel he liked her as more than a friend too. There was something between them, like sparks. Okay, they were completely different in every single way imaginable but maybe that was okay. Maybe she was Heaven and he was Hell and that was okay. Maybe that's why their attraction towards each other surged throughout the air every time they were in the same room as each other.

Clare hadn't wanted to admit it really, but Eli was causing a change inside of her. Sure, there was that thing with Declan a while ago - he was the one that awakened what she thought would never come. Then she bit Wesley. Awkward. But since then, she hadn't felt a smidge of those kinds of urges - not even with He who must not be mentioned. But now Eli had walked into her life, no barriers held and no restrictions and she was starting to come to life. The sexual tension was palpable around him and every time he came within two yards of her, Clare wanted to slam his back against her locker door and shove her tongue down his throat, until she was pulling his hair, and he was dragging his nails up her bare thigh and she was leaning backwards in his arms, panting his name. Her cheeks burned at the thought of their library encounter and how she had wished she could have gone further with him.

The ache began again. Ever since Eli had awakened her with his arousal, she was beginning to ache every time she thought of him. More than anything, it wasn't what Clare thought self pleasure would be. This was torture. All she wanted was Eli's fingertips along her thigh and slipping inside where nobody had ever gone before, even herself. If this what sexual awakening was, Clare wanted to hand it back to Eli. This was ridiculous. She could see a guy with black hair, think of Eli and bam, she was turned on. She could see Alli's black nail polish, think of Eli and bam, she was turned on. The worse encounter yet was when she and her mother were leaving the house to store the cupcakes in the trunk before they headed to the Church Bakeoff. She looked up from her car and almost dropped the tray of cupcakes in her hands. A hearse was driving past her street. Just a normal hearse with a dead body in the back and Clare felt the ache in between her thighs surge. "You've got be to kidding me" Clare growled, grimacing.

The sun beat down on her and Clare leaned against the side of her car, feeling the hot scorching metal across her bare legs. She took a deep breath and fished her denim shorts for her phone. She wanted so desperately to text Eli and bite his full lips until he groaned her name. She wanted Eli to pick her up, in that stupid hearse of his and take her somewhere where they could both be alone. What was happening to her? Her nipples were hard again, her skin was sore to touch and she felt on fire. Was this what being a teenager was? How did anyone handle it? The sound of her front door closing caught Clare's attention and she looked round to see Helen, her mother, walking towards the car with the last batch of cupcakes. Her smile fell slightly at the sight of her mother in a flowing floral dress. Her hair was neatly groomed and she was wearing make up. That had been happening a lot lately and Clare's heart panged every time. Her father was living across town, her mother was dating someone else and Darcy was in Kenya. Her 'family' wasn't really a family anymore, was it?

Clare knew her mother was thinking her own disapproving thoughts of Clare's outfit. She was wearing blue denim shorts that clung to her every curve, a well fitted white embroidered top that snaked up along her soft sides and barely contained her breasts. Her mother scolded Clare for leaving the first few buttons undone but Clare ignored her, shaking her head and making her short curls fly everywhere. Her mother was not telling her what to do anymore; she was sixteen and at the prime of her independence… Well, almost. Clare got in the passenger seat and listened to her mother lecture her about teenage pregnancy and STI's and it was all Clare could do not to think about Eli, on his bed, thinking about her. She knew it was silly but the thought made her temperature rise. She bit her lip and smirked to herself as she remembered how easily she could turn him on, just by being pushed up against her. She had never felt the need to self love, because, Clare thought it was sinful and unholy and impure, but lately, all those beliefs were going to pot. She knew she would have to do something about her raging urges and yes - even considering doing that. She was almost wanted to, in her bath Thursday night, but she had held herself back and instead just squeezed her thighs together to give herself some ease.

Was this how guys felt? This constant need to self pleasure? They probably enjoyed it, Clare thought bitterly. If a guy did it, hey, he's a guy so it's normal. But the moment a girl does it, it's disgusting, she's disturbed. It infuriated her how when a guy bared his sexuality, he was seen as being 'outgoing and bold' but when a girl was ready to claim her own sexual independence, it was considered unhealthy and 'whorish'. "Why is there such social sexism?" Clare suddenly spat out in the middle of the drive to the Church Bakeoff. Helen turned her to look at her daughter, giving her the most puzzled look. Clare sighed, knowing she should not have said that to her mother, as they were on their way to Church. "Never mind" Clare shook he head, sighing. "Forget I said anything".

"Clare" Helen frowned, "Are you okay? I can't help but notice this past week you've been acting a little weird. At first I thought it was just 'Dare Week' annoying you like it usually does but then… I don't know, you've got that look in your eyes".

"What look?" Clare asked defensively.

"That look that I get whenever I think about Glen" Helen replied with a dreamy smile. "There's no boys in your life, right?".

"Apart from Adam" Clare shrugged, "No, there's no boys in my life" she paused, "So that's the first time I'm getting a name for your new boyfriend, is it? His name is 'Glen'? Sorry but you wouldn't suit a 'Glen' mom".

Helen smiled slightly, "What kind of name would I suit?".

"Randall" Clare sighed sadly. "You suit a 'Randall'. Least you used to".

"Oh Clare, I'm sorry this is so hard on you" Helen looked over to Clare sadly for a brief moment, "But at some point, you will have to come to terms with the fact that your father and I don't make each other happy, like we used to. I've found Glen, who does me happy and soon your father will too and I'll be happy for him. Can't you see Clare-bear, this is the best thing for everyone".

"Whatever" Clare rolled her eyes as her phone dinged. It was a text message from Adam, asking Clare what one wears to a Church Bakeoff. Clare told him to keep it casual and waited until Adam replied. Clare sighed unhappily when Adam text back asking what her dare was. She didn't reply and shoved her phone away. She had no idea what the hell she was going to tell him. On the one hand, if she told him, Adam would never let her do the dare and probably out himself to Degrassi, which would probably be worse. But if she lied to him, and did the dare, and the horrible Dare Overlord outed Adam anyway then Adam would have no idea and Clare would feel like the worst friend in the history of the world. And she hated lying. It was the cheapest way to live.

When Clare got to the Church Bakeoff, she walked inside the Church and glanced around at the many stalls filled with cupcakes and sweets, just waiting to be sold. She helped her mother set up their stall, ignoring the red decorations that were dangerously bright. Clare knew some people were looking at her for her questionable outfit but when she'd gotten home from school, it had been sunny and scorching. It was soon nearly 8PM and the sky was beginning to darken slowly, but the air and atmosphere was still warm. Nevertheless, Clare pulled on her denim jacket and felt more presentable. She smiled widely when she looked up and saw Adam cautiously enter into the Church. Their eyes found each other and Clare waved him over enthusiastically. "Hey!" Clare greeted him with a hug. "How was your appointment?".

"The usual" Adam shrugged, "Just trying to deal so I don't lose the plot" he laughed slightly and then glanced around, "Is it weird I'm not really a God believer and yet I'm standing in a Church?".

"Maybe" Clare sighed softly, "But you're my best friend and I don't care" she looked him dead in the eye, "I mean it, Adam. I don't care what you are. You could be a secret half fish half zombie mutant and I wouldn't care. You would still and always will be, my best friend".

"You're really special, Clare" Adam smiled back, "One day someone will see that and make you forget about He who must not be mentioned" Clare didn't want to tell Adam that she could have possibly already met a certain someone who made her forget about He who must not be mentioned. That certain someone was Eli Goldsworthy and he was a boy whose smile and look gave her chills that thrilled her in places that yearned for his touch. "So, what did that dare say? Is it something bad?" Adam suddenly asked and Clare froze, feeling her blood rush erratically.

Shit. What was she going to say? Clare smiled nervously and scratched the back of her neck impulsively. "Yes" Clare said slowly, "Yes, the dare… _That _dare" she grinned again, "Hey do you want a free cupcake?" she went round to the stall and handed a chocolate cupcake to Adam, "Totally free. No charge".

"Thank you" Adam took the cupcake. "Now tell me what's going on Clare. What did the dare say?".

"It told me to kiss Ms. Dawes" Clare blurted out, not even realising what she had said. _Kiss Ms. Dawes?_ Clare shook her head internally and sighed externally. She noticed Adam's conflicted face and forced a smile. "I'm not going to do it, of course. Yeah, I ripped it up and threw it away".

"Wow" Adam grimaced, "So you're not afraid of the Dare Overlord and the repercussions if you don't do it?" he laughed at the thought.

"No" Clare shrugged. "What can be worse than having to kiss your middle-aged teacher?" her heartbeat raced horribly. She knew she shouldn't be lying to Adam. She should tell him the truth, even if it was just to warn him, because this was his secret and he had a right to know who else knew but at the same time… If Adam found out and stopped her from doing the dare… Clare would always regret it. She would always wonder what would have happened if she went through with it. So she had already decided. She would get a fake ID from Eli, go to the disgusting _Sticky Ricky's_ and get a lap dance. Then this would all be over. Hopefully.

"Clare" Helen caught Clare's attention and Clare spun around to see her mother, standing next to tall brown haired man. "This is Glen, Clare. Glen Martin" it took Clare all of three seconds to realise that she knew Glen Martin! Her mind hadn't even twigged in the car, but now she knew his last name and saw his face and… She couldn't even believe this. Her mother was dating Glen freaking Martin, father to…

"Howdy kids" Jake Martin sauntered up to the stall, smirking at Clare with the most peculiar smile. "Did I miss anything?".

"Clare, you remember Jake, you two used to be friends" Helen added. Clare wanted to scoff. She and Jake Martin had never been friends. God he used to piss her off so much, so much so that she wanted to punch his stupid smug face in right now.

"It's great to see you again, Clare" Glen said suddenly. He smiled over at Helen, "Your mom has told me so much about you". Glen Martin had been friends with both of Clare's parents and had moved away quite some time ago and to be honest, all Clare wanted was them to move back to whenever the hell they came from and leave her and her mother alone. Jake - who Clare had known for six years - looked like he hadn't changed; still cocky, still smug, still annoying.

"You too, Mr Martin" Clare said dully, glancing back to Adam to shoot him a look of awkwardness.

"Please, call me Glen" Glen grinned at Helen again and all Clare wanted to do was vomit.

"Excuse me" Clare said as her phone 'dinged'. She turned around, faced Adam and pulled her phone out of her pocket to see she had a text message from Eli. She couldn't even contain her smile and Adam frowned at her.

"Who's the mysterious guy making you smile?" Adam asked.

"That would be Alli" Clare swallowed the uneasy lie in her throat. "She's freaking out about that dare. She says she's still going to do it though, ridiculous really" Clare made sure Adam couldn't see her screen as she unlocked her phone and clicked onto Eli's text message; _**You are going to love me. Already got your fake ID fixed so whenever you wanna hit the town, let me know.**_

Clare smirked and typed back; _**Thank you Mr Goldsworthy, I'll be sure to come get it soon.**_

The thought of just skipping out on the Bakeoff and getting a taxi to Eli's house made her heart skip a beat. She had no idea where he even lived but she was almost 100 percent sure he would tell her if she asked. As Adam was called away by Helen to help the other guys cart around some boxes that had to be moved, Clare sat down on the chair behind the stall and felt her thoughts drifting back into inappropriate places. She glanced up over to the doors, wishing with all her being that Eli would walk through them, in his tight skinny jeans, fitted t-shirt, black leather jacket and combat boots and whisk her away. He oozed sex appeal, and he didn't even know it. She thought about his dark luscious hair and the ways it darted out carelessly, much like him. Clare's phone buzzed again and she glanced down at Eli's text; _**You can get it whenever you want it.**_ Was he trying to be that obvious? Because it had Clare's eyes welling up with lust at the thought of just how she'd 'get' it. Secretly Clare was dying to be a fly on his bedroom wall, or even bathroom wall.

The thought of watching him self pleasure sent her thighs jerking forwards of their own accord. She wanted the gaze of his dark eyes - that weren't even really one specific colour - piercing through her blue eyes and making her weak at the knees. She wanted his electric touch, setting her nerves and cells on fire, causing goosebumps to appear everywhere. She wanted to take his full plump kissable lips in between hers and bite them until his hips jerked into hers. She wanted every inch of him pressed against her and that half crooked smirk gazing down at her that sent butterflies everywhere. He smelled of pinecones and fresh air and a mix of old spices you might find at the back of someone's cupboard. He was intoxicating and Clare almost growled at the ache in-between her thighs. Why was she torturing herself like this? She was supposed to be Clare Edwards; the good sensible one, not Clare Edwards; the crazy horny one.

Clare let out a deep breath and tried to compose herself as she typed back; _**What are you doing right now?**_ Her heartbeat was racing erratically as she nervously awaited his reply. She could imagine it now. Sitting in Morty as they inched closer together, enjoying the heightened atmosphere that had Clare's head rolling backwards. She just wanted to see him. So completely. What was even happening to her? If only she could tell her mother, or even Adam at least. Then she felt slightly bad. She'd literally ditched Adam the entire night and sat on her phone. When she glanced up, she saw from across the space that Adam was in a conversation with Jake Martin. Her stomach churned horribly at the thought about what they were talking about.

Then her phone buzzed again and she glanced down at Eli's reply; _**Nothing worth mentioning. Want me to bust you free? I can be there in ten minutes.**_ Her smile grew wider but two shadows behind her made her jerk forwards and hide her phone from prying eyes. She turned around and saw that Adam and Jake had suddenly walked behind her and she hadn't even realised.

"Who's the dude?" Jake asked Clare like he had every right in the world to know.

"He's no one-I mean, there _is _no one" Clare fumbled for her words as she glared at Jake. She watched with disgust as he wiggled his eyebrows at her and sauntered away.

"Cut the crap Clare" Adam said harshly once Jake was gone, "You've been acting all weird one minute, and then all smiley and lovey the next. Do not lie to me, okay? I trusted you with the most important secret in my life and now I demand you do the same. I'm your best friend, even better than Alli, who just flits in and out of your life whenever she feels like it. I'm always in your life" his expression softened, "So tell me, please".

Clare nodded slowly and then took Adam's hand to guide him towards the front doors. They managed to leave the stuffy Church and embrace the cold air outside before anyone stopped them. Clare pulled Adam to the side and then glanced around cautiously to make sure nobody was in hearing range. Then she leaned in and whispered, "Okay don't freak out because it's really not a big deal" she waited until Adam reluctantly nodded, "I became friends with Eli Goldsworthy this week".

"Eli Goldsworthy?" Adam's eyes widened ridiculously, "Eli Goldsworthy; the emo punk who hangs around with Queen bitch Jenna, King jock K.C and their band of mindless followers? _That _Eli?".

"Yes, that Eli" Clare nodded back.

"Clare, what the hell?" Adam pulled back a bit, "When did this even happen?".

"I don't know" Clare shrugged, biting her lip. "I guess I've just always noticed him, you know? Like in the back of my mind, I always looked at him, because… he fascinates me. The first time he spoke to me was Monday morning, you remember, you were there".

"He called you 'Virgin Girl' and then sauntered off with his bestest buddies" Adam shook his head, confused.

"Yeah but only after I called him 'Emo Boy'" Clare grimaced. "Then on Wednesday, during a free period, he came into the library and started talking to me. He told me that he thought me standing up to Jenna was cool. We just connected I guess. Then on Thursday, he messaged me on Facerange and asked if we could be friends" she shrugged, "It's simple really".

"Clare, do you even hear yourself?" Adam gaped, "This is Elijah Goldsworthy, he's friends with the people I'll be sitting next to in Hell, and when you die, you won't be in Hell Clare, you'll be in Heaven, with all the little ponies and the little daisies-".

"Okay way to make me feel appreciated as a person and not just a stereotype" Clare interrupted.

"-and Elijah Goldsworthy and his stupid friends will probably be sitting next to me. Not you" Adam continued like he had never been interrupted. "All I'm saying is, he's poison and he's bad news and why would an arrogant dickhead like him want to be friends with someone who usually wouldn't give him the time of day?".

"Okay, so many contradictions in that speech" Clare sighed, "First of all Adam, you can't assign people to Heaven and Hell if you're not A) God and B) a God believer, okay, that's not how religion works. Second of all, why the fudge do you think you're going to Hell? That's never going to happen so give up your reservation for someone who's really going to Hell, like Jake Martin. Third of all, Eli is not just some 'arrogant dickhead', he's actually really nice once you get to know him, it's just his friends that give him a bad persona, and lastly, fourth of all, why don't you take a step backwards and remind yourself that the terrible 'Hell condemned' group you're talking about just so happens to have your brother in it".

They both took a silent awkward moment to think. Adam was the first to speak. "Okay, I'm sorry I blew up at you. It's just… Even though I know deep down my brother's a good person, he can be led astray by the wrong people, the same people who Eli has hung about with since he got here. I just don't want you to get hurt, that's all, like last time".

"I'm not going to get hurt" Clare promised, smiling slowly. "Eli and I are just friends".

"But you want more" Adam stated knowingly, "And that means he'll probably want more too. Just be careful Clare, okay? You don't want to rush into any more stress right now. It's not just Eli you should worry about, what about Jenna and her minions when they find out Eli is newest BFF's with the girl she's made it her personal mission to destroy?".

"I exactly hadn't thought of that" Clare sighed sadly. "But I don't know, I can't explain it, Adam. We just have this connection I've never felt with anybody before. He makes me come alive in ways I didn't even know were possible".

"Please take it slow, Clare" Adam stressed to his best friend, "Let's be honest, haven't you already been down this road? With He who must not be mentioned?".

"No" Clare admitted honestly. "I haven't, because He who must be mentioned isn't Eli. Eli isn't him, he's so much better. I know it in my bones, I've never been down this road with anyone".

"Okay" Adam sighed, giving in. "But if he hurts you, I'm kicking his ass".

Clare laughed, only remembering her text messages with Eli when her phone buzzed again. Clare read Eli's text; _**Blue Eyes? You there?**_

"Let me guess. He wants to come pick you up in his hearse and drive around town romantically" Adam teased his best friend.

Clare noticed the dulling in Adam's eyes and suddenly realised that her best friend needed her more right way. There were times when they'd talk about Adam's conflicting mental state, and right now, she could tell, he needed someone to talk to. "Not tonight" Clare replied, smiling up at her friend. "Let's get out of here though. We can go a walk and we can talk, or you can talk, about anything".

"Are you sure?" Adam narrowed his eyes. "I'm no Eli Goldsworthy" he smirked.

Clare nodded. "Of course I'm sure. Come on, before my mom finds us out here" she grabbed Adam's arm and they began to walk away from the Church.

Clare replied to Eli with; _**You have no idea how much I want that but my friend needs me tonight. Rain check?**_

Clare was halfway down the street when she got Eli's reply; _**Hope everything's okay. I'll definitely take you up on that.**_


	3. The Hot In Here Conundrum

**A/N: **Hello! I love you all! I also love how some of you seem to have your own theories in mind, stuff I hadn't even considered! I can't wait to write a certain twisting chapter coming up soon... Also, I CAN'T wait for the finale. I'm at such a disadvantage because I'm not in Canada, but I do not care, I will scour the internet anyway, searching for links to watch it. I can't even tell you how anxious I am to watch it. I want an ECLARE moment. Anyway, review, review review :) ?

* * *

**DARE ME, NOT**

**Chapter Two:**

"**The Hot In Here Conundrum"**

**oOo**

It was Monday by the time Clare saw Eli again. They hadn't spoken since Friday by text and every time Clare wanted to text him again, her nerves and insecurities stopped her. She walked into the hallway, cautious for some reason. She held her books to her chest and walked over to her locker. Her feelings for Eli - or lust, really - was progressing very fast. She remembered her conversation with her mother in the car on the way to the Bakeoff. Clare blushed again at the thought of her mother asking her if there were any 'boys' in her life. Was Eli really a part of her life? Was he truly her friend? She wanted him to, more than she wanted to admit to herself. She became flushed again, when she thought of their library encounter and her stomach fluttered at the thought of losing herself to Eli, so completely. How could you immerse yourself so completely in someone that they're all you begin to think about? Clare let out a deep breath and resisted the urge to slap herself. She had to get a grip. Was Eli obsessing over her as much as she was obsessing over him? Probably not.

A shrill laugh in the opposite direction made Clare's head snap round. She rolled her eyes at the sight of Jenna walking down the hallway with K.C in her grip. Apparently they'd made up since they're weird little tiff last week. Clare got a little kick out of causing trouble for them, but, she did have to admit it wasn't one of her finer moments. Drew, Dave and Bianca tagged behind them and Clare's eyes searched for Eli's. He wasn't with his friends. She saw his hearse parked outside so she knew he was at school that day. She had to find him; one to get the fake ID from him so she could do the stupid _Sticky Ricky's _dare and two, just so she could look into his eyes and remember the way she felt when he smiled at her. These feelings were not okay to Clare one bit, but she had no other option than to submit to them, because they had already wrapped themselves around her so tightly she couldn't breathe, and she liked it. Clare heard Jenna giggle cruelly as she passed her and she knew that taunt was for her but she ignored it.

She walked towards the cafeteria and tried to search for either Adam or Eli. She glanced over and saw a commotion by Principal Simpson's desk. A large crowd was forming in front of his doorway. Clare stopped her destined route and walked towards the crowd, frowning as she got closer and closer every minute. Where was that music coming from? She noticed Jenna and K.C at the front of the crowd. They were dancing along to the music and clapping and waving their arms above their heads like everyone else who had started doing it. "What the hell?" Clare squeezed past a couple of Freshmen kids and froze when she saw the sight in front of her. Alli was dancing on Principal Simpson's desk, to Nelly's song Hot In Here. Clare's eyes widened as Alli basically became a stripper, without the stripping. Why the hell was everyone cheering this on? This was academic suicide. If Principal Simpson caught her on his desk, dancing explicitly like this, Alli might even be expelled.

Clare glared when she caught sight of a tall brown haired guy taking a video of Alli on his phone. She stormed up to him, gave him a disgusted look and grabbed his phone from him. "You're a perv!" Clare cried. She quickly deleted the recorded video and slammed his phone back into the guy's chest. He shook his head at her and grumbled under his breath before he shrugged and sauntered off. Clare narrowed her eyes as she watched him go before turning back to the sight of her quite flexible friend, shaking said ass. "Alli" Clare sighed, shaking her head. She suddenly noticed that Adam had joined the tail end of the crowd. She squeezed past the crowd and reached Adam. "Adam! We've got to stop this. Alli's becoming a slut".

"_Becoming_?" Adam raised his eyebrow but Clare ignored him and grabbed his arm, storming through the crowd to get to the front.

Clare barged right in-between Jenna and K.C, glowering at them as she did so. Jenna gave her a glare and called her a bitch as Adam and Clare continued inside Principal Simpson's office to where Alli was still dancing. "Hey guys!" Alli grinned when she saw them, "Want to join me?".

"Not likely" Clare went over to the portable CD player and turned off the blasting Hip-hop song. Everyone from the crowd yelled in disappointment.

"Clare, what the hell?" Alli cried. "I was dancing!".

"Seriously, Clare. Go be a freak somewhere else" Jenna added harshly.

"Seriously, Jenna. Go be a whore somewhere else!" Clare barked at the blonde and then turned back to her friend, "Alli, get down from there before Principal Simpson sees you and gives you detention, or worse, expels you".

"Clare, I don't see why you have to ruin my fun all the time" Alli moaned.

"Boohoo, somebody cares about you" Clare rolled her eyes, holding her hand out for Alli to take.

"I think she's just jealous" Jenna smirked, folding her arms over her chest. "After all, Clare would never in a million years do what you did, Alli" she glanced at Clare and sneered, "Right, Clare? Why don't you surprise us, Clare-bear? I _dare _you".

Clare's eyes narrowed into slits.

"Jenna" Alli began annoyedly, "Leave her-".

"It's fine Alli" Clare cut her off. She stormed round to the front of Principal Simpson's table and stepped onto his chair to step onto his desk, standing next to Alli. Everyone looked shocked, even Jenna. "Hit it, Adam" Clare told Adam with a sore look on her face.

Adam paused, "Are you sure?".

"Just do it" Clare said. Then she glanced to Alli and said "This will be one for the grandkids".

"Let's show 'em what I know you got" Alli grinned as Adam walked over to the CD player and hit the 'play' button. The second the music started and Alli started moving, Clare felt a kind of freedom she wasn't used to. She started swinging her hips back and forth, her arms going above her head. Everyone was suddenly dancing too and waving their arms above their head, except for Jenna. She glowered at Clare and then glanced to K.C. When K.C saw her growler, he stopped dancing and cleared his throat, shrugging slightly.

Clare grinned; this was amazing. What was this? This was so empowering. She spun around and felt Alli grab her shoulder, bringing Clare's back into her front. They grinded in the same fashion for a while, both swinging their hips from left to right in unison and Clare giggled at the thought of her mother seeing her like this. She was would literally die. And then come back to life to kill Clare. But the look on Jenna's face was worth all the risk in the world. She was just glaring up at the two dancing girls, annoyed that her little plan to humiliate Clare for the hundredth time hadn't worked.

And then suddenly, the music cut out and Clare and Alli stopped dancing to glance up at the annoyed face of Principal Simpson.

"Crap" Alli muttered.

"Get off my desk" Principal Simpson folded his arms as Jenna smirked from behind him and copied his gesture. "Now".

**oOo**

Clare had never been to detention before, so when she walked into the classroom, she suddenly completely self-conscious. More so than the table dance she had done two periods ago. After the crowd was thrown out of Principal Simpson's office, he preceded to give Alli and Clare a horrendous lecture about 'slutty dancing', 'breaking and entering' and 'vandalism'. Clare wanted to die with humiliation the entire time she was being lectured. She had never done anything like this before, she was the good sensible one after all. Alli didn't seem that bothered by the act of getting caught, but she did a good job of trying to act like she cared about Principal Simpson's speech. Then he separated their punishments because he didn't want to 'risk the riot of another explicit dance'. Clare got detention and Alli got picking up trash in the yard. Clare had to admit; she did get the better deal. When you picked up yard trash, you had to wear the orange jumpsuit as well. Alli would be having a field day right about now.

Detention wasn't even supervised! Clare navigated her way down the other people in detention that consisted of several stoner-like guys and a blonde haired girl Clare had never seen before. She settled down at the back and took out her English book, deciding that now was a good a time as any to catch up on her homework. She had been in detention for ten minutes when the door opened again and Clare looked up, losing her breath for a moment. Eli smiled at her and walked towards her, in his glory. He was carrying a can of energy juice and Clare had never been so jealous of a can before. He didn't even seem surprised to see her here but this was Degrassi High, it was probably all over school that nerdy Clare Edwards had danced like a slut with Alli on Principal Simpson's table.

"Stalking me, are you?" Clare teased him as he took a seat next to her.

"Do you even need to ask?" Eli smirked back and Clare exploded with lust again. Her heartbeat picked up erratically. "I heard Simpson gave you detention so I thought I would come keep you company" he pulled something out of his pocket, "And give you this" he slid a fake ID card across the table. The picture was the same as Clare's profile picture on her Facerange page. Clare picked it up and studied it with awe. Eli had made it so that she was twenty one.

"Thank you Eli, I don't even know how to thank you" Clare blushed as she twiddled the card around. "I can't believe you're really in detention voluntarily to see me. What class are you skipping?".

"Free period" Eli smiled back, gazing a little moment longer into her eyes. "I have to admit, I wish I could have been there earlier. The whole school is blowing up about it. What even happened?".

"Jenna happened" Clare sighed as she leaned back into her chair, "She just said something that rattled me and basically dared me to dance on the table. It was the look on her face that I wanted to wipe off. That look that said I was never gonna do it, and it just got to me, because she doesn't know me, at all. I don't know, I guess it was stupid".

"You're definitely not stupid, Clare" Eli said warmly, the tone of his voice thickening. "You are one of the smartest people I know, trust me. And, I have to admit, I wasn't shocked at all when I heard".

Clare almost looked offended, "You weren't? You thought I was a regular slutty table dancing Junior?" she laughed.

"More like, I wasn't shocked at the ballsy-ness of it" Eli replied slowly. "I don't know, there's something about you that's not really what you are. People think you're this good little school girl, and I see something different. Something real".

Clare felt her cheeks flush as she broke out into a grin. Eli watched her struggle with the compliment and smiled his own intimate smile.

"So, have you decided when you want to do your dare?" Eli asked, breaking their moment slightly.

"Soon" Clare nodded, "Really soon. I already feel bad enough about lying to Adam about it".

"And you're still sure you can't tell me what the Dare Overlord has on Adam?" Eli asked quietly.

"I can't, I'm sorry" Clare shook her head sadly, "It's his secret and I won't betray his trust. I told him it was some stupid dare and that I'd ripped it up. I didn't tell him about _Sticky Ricky's_ or any of it. I just hope if I do this dare, then the Dare Overlord will just leave Adam alone. He hasn't done anything to anyone, he's the nicest person I know" she paused and licked her lips, catching the attention of Eli's darkened eyes. "Did you get dared?" Clare asked Eli, noticing his gaze fixated on her lips.

Eli suddenly looked away and rubbed the back of his neck, "Nope, not this year. Good thing I'm a Senior, I won't have to bother about any of that crap next year" he paused, "How do you know the Dare Overlord knows you've done the dare? I mean, I assume you don't take pictures, because some of the dares I've heard about are illegal, so how does the Dare Overlord really know?".

"I've never really given it much thought" Clare shrugged, "My guess is there must be more than one Dare Overlord, like a whole group of them. And then they split up and spy on their targets until their time limit is up. Then if they haven't done the dare, the poor student gets 'punished'. It's ridiculous".

"Such a waste of time and energy" Eli said bitterly, "What kind of sick people get a kick from something like this? It's pathetic".

Clare sighed softly, "You know what people and tradition are like. They link it to nostalgia and think it means something, when in reality, it's as useless as trying to find the cure for old age" she shared a smile with Eli. Then she asked, "So, what are you wanting to do when you leave school?".

"Go to TU" Eli replied, "Major in script writing and theatre" he took a sip of his energy drink and Clare felt her eyes fall down to the pout of his lips and the curl of his fingers and the way his tongue darted out and ran itself across his lips so slowly. "What about you?" Eli asked as his eyes trailed down the soft skin of Clare's neck and into the dip of her top.

"TU as well" Clare swallowed nervously. "Any college really, but my mom wants to stay close to home. "Journalism, mostly. Maybe creative writing, I haven't decided on which yet".

"I didn't know we had so much in common" Eli smirked and Clare grinned back nervously.

"Who knew?" Clare teased back. "Oh, that reminds me" she turned to her bag and pulled out a piece of paper. It looked like a printout from a website, with the Dot logo at the top of the page. She handed it to Eli, who looked confused. He didn't even know that the Dot had their own website. "It's a job opening at the Dot for a Barista" Clare explained. "I saw it posted on the Degrassi job forum so I printed it out for you".

Eli glanced down at the piece of paper and then back to Clare. "You printed this out for me?" he looked a little taken aback.

"Well, yeah" Clare fiddled with her hair subconsciously, "I did say I would help you find a job, didn't I? That's what friends do".

"This is amazing, Clare" Eli replied, "Thank you".

"You still have to phone up and ask for an interview" Clare smiled back.

"No it's just… none of my other friends would have done this for me" Eli said and Clare suddenly felt a little sad. Just because you have quantity doesn't mean you have quality.

"Yeah they seem… not like you" Clare finished awkwardly and then looked up to his eyeline. "You seem like a really nice guy, Eli and they're all…" she grimaced, trying to find the right word.

"Jerks?" Eli finished for her, smirking.

"Kind of" Clare shrugged, "I mean the way Jenna bosses you, Drew and Dave around like her little minions, it's weird. And K.C? I'm surprised he hasn't gotten a restraining order against her already".

Eli laughed and Clare brightened at his happiness. Him laughing should not be so damn attractive, but it actually was. "I know, let's be honest, they suck. But once you get past Jenna and K.C, Drew and Dave are actually cool people, just led by the wrong type".

"What about Bianca?" Clare asked softly.

"What about her?" Eli frowned.

"I don't know" Clare shook her head, her curls flying everywhere. "I just thought…" she suddenly felt really stupid. "You… and her… I don't know, she's a little… She's very…".

Eli was already smirking slightly as he replied, "Bianca and I are just friends. Not even that. More like acquaintances really. She's annoying, just as much as Jenna is, if not more so. Last year, I was on my way to becoming good friends with K.C like I was with Drew and Dave but then he got a little weird, and he started dating Jenna just out of the blue. Now he's more like an acquaintance as well".

Eli didn't miss the way Clare had tensed up during him talking and he couldn't work out why she was suddenly so uncomfortable. "Clare, are you okay?".

"I'm fine" Clare shook her head, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Really, I'm okay".

"You don't seem it" Eli frowned, trying to seek out her gaze but hers was planted firmly on the table. When Clare didn't reply, Eli added, "Hey, you wanna get something to eat with me after school?".

"Are you sure?" Clare snapped her head round sharply. "What if your friends see us together?".

Eli suddenly felt like he wasn't in the same conversation as Clare was, "So what if they do?".

"And you wouldn't care, how they reacted?" Clare whispered.

"Why would they react, Clare?" Eli leaned in towards Clare, breathing in her intoxicating scent.

"Because you're Eli Goldsworthy and I'm…" Clare shook her head.

"What? Smart? Beautiful? Kind?" Eli reached out and pushed her curls behind her ear. "What's going on? Talk to me".

"It's just… I've been there before. I dated a guy who kept our relationship secret because he didn't want his friends to know" Clare said quietly, burning a hole in her lap. "And I just don't want to feel like people need to hide knowing me, whether it's a relationship or a friendship".

"Clare, I would never hurt you like that" it tasted a lie on his lips and he felt completely ashamed of himself. He didn't want to hurt Clare, at all. She was so perfect. And now he was in trouble. He didn't want to complete the dare, but he was already in too deep. He couldn't stay away from Clare now even if he wanted to. This had gone beyond the dare already and he wasn't even her boyfriend. "Whoever that guy was, he's a jackass and he certainly didn't deserve you, at all. I only suggested that secret friends thing on Thursday because I thought maybe you didn't want people to know you were friends with me".

"What?" Clare's eyes widened. "Why would you think that?".

"Despite being friends with the popular people, I wouldn't be popular without them, not that I really care about popularity" Eli shrugged, "In my old school, I used to be the loner, the rebel, the outcast, then I moved here and suddenly I was popular. But that didn't change who I was" he gestured at his attire, "Clearly. And you're Clare Edwards, the one everyone thinks is perfect" her eyes lit up when he said this, "Why would perfect Clare Edwards want to be friends with someone who clearly has a thing for breaking rules?".

"I told Adam we were friends on Friday" Clare blurted out. "I wasn't gonna tell him at first, because… I just felt like if people knew, then somehow it would get tangled and twisted and destroyed but I told him, and he completely freaked out, like I knew he would. But then I told him you were different" she smiled up at him, "And I know I was right. You are different, Eli Goldsworthy. In every single way".

Eli felt his heart flutter at her words. God, she was so perfect and she had no idea how amazing she really was. The urge to ask who that jackass was slipped away when he saw the pain in Clare's eyes. She didn't want to talk about it, but maybe later she would, if he asked when her mouth was full of food and she was physically unable to break down and cry. Crying while eating junk food is next to impossible. "So" Eli began quietly, "Are you and Adam…?" he trailed off.

"What?" Clare frowned, suddenly getting his hint a second later. "No! God no! No, no way. Friends. Great friends. Best friends. Just friends" she finished with a breathless smile and glanced up to Eli. She hadn't even realised when he'd gotten so close to her.

"Great" Eli couldn't help but admit. "Meet you outside in the parking lot after school? We can get a _Wendy's _if you want".

"I'm really more of a _Taco Bell _kind of girl" Clare stuck her tongue out playfully.

"Fine" Eli agreed, "It's a date".

**oOo**

Clare phoned her mom to let her know she was going to be late home, having just jumped into Morty with Eli. She smiled as Eli turned a corner on Morty. Eli flipped on the radio and Clare began bobbing her head to the song. Eli turned to watch her, chuckling slightly. When Eli went to _Taco Bell_ he ordered a tomato and cheese taco for Clare and a burrito for himself. He parked in the _Taco Bell_ parking lot and grinned as Clare sipped petitely on her Pepsi Max. His eyes drifted to her lips as she sucked on the straw and for a slight moment, he wondered if she knew what she was doing. Then she smirked and Eli knew for sure she was doing this on purpose.

He shifted uncomfortably and wondered how to brace the subject of Clare's ex-boyfriend. He wanted to know, just so he could punch the asshole in the face, but he also knew it was a painful part of Clare's past that maybe she wasn't ready to talk about yet. And besides, their friendship was still new, even if it didn't feel that way anymore. Eli's eyes froze the next second when he noticed Clare had dropped a tomato from her taco onto her chest. She scowled, reached down and picked it up, dropping it back onto her taco. Then, like in slow motion, she brought her fingers to her mouth and sucked away the sauce. Eli's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Eli?" Clare frowned, wiping away the stain from her chest with a napkin, "Are you okay?".

Eli's head snapped up, "-Yeah. Course. I'm fine" he paused, "I was just thinking about what you said earlier, about that jackass who kept your relationship a secret".

"Oh" Clare looked down, shrugging, "It's okay. It doesn't matter anymore".

"Anytime you wanna talk about it" Eli started again, "I'm here to listen, really".

Clare bit her lip and then shrugged again. "It was last year, the beginning of my Sophomore year. We met in the hallway and then I spotted him at the Dot. He asked me out and I said yes. He was a Junior so I didn't tell my mom, in case she flipped out. She and my dad were still fighting at this point. I was able to escape their fighting by hanging out with him, that's the first time I've ever let someone be my rock. He wanted to keep our relationship a secret because he was starting to become popular and I was just blind to how horrible he was. Then all of a sudden, he dropped me and started dating this other girl. And she knew. She knew he had broken up with me for her, and that's… That's the reason it hurt so bad" she laughed humourlessly, "God, how stupid was I?" she shook her head, "And then if that wasn't enough, my parents told me they were getting a divorce. I kind of spiralled for a bit after that. But I'm still here" she smiled sadly.

Eli, who had silent the entire time, looked deep into Clare's eyes. "It was K.C, wasn't it?" he whispered.

Clare's eyes darted up in shock. "How did you-".

"It fits" Eli explained, "When I moved here last year, K.C was dating this girl and he wouldn't tell anybody who it was, not Drew, Dave, or any of us. The first time I met them, I rescued them from this horrible prank and drove K.C to the Dot to meet Jenna. The guys were ribbing him for playing two girls at the same time. Then all of a sudden, a week later, he had broken up with this girl-with you-and started going out with Jenna".

"That's what happened" Clare nodded, shifting in her seat. "And the worse thing about it all, not Jenna's endless torture - that's part and parcel of being a Junior who likes to spend her nights reading instead of having sex - but it's the fact that nobody knew, apart from Adam. I was breaking inside and I couldn't be upset, because nobody knew about it".

"I'm really sorry, Clare" Eli reached forwards and pulled Clare into a hug. "He's a dick, and he doesn't deserve you".

"Thank you" Clare whispered back, hugging him back. She knew now that she wasn't just friends with Eli. Well, not to her anyway. Your stomach doesn't ache with something you've never had before just being friends with someone. She was falling, spiralling - in a good way. She just didn't know if Eli was going to be there to catch her when she crashed.


	4. The Ugly Heart Conjecture

**A/N:** Thank you for reviewing! You spur me on! Wow, that sounded overtly sexual. Anyway, I'll just stop flirting with you so you can go read this and review? Review?

Also, an anon commented to let me know about some religious faux pas I've been making; This may confuse some of you, but where I'm from, if you were a Catholic or a Catholic Christian, you just called yourself Catholic - weird I know. And if you were a Protestant or an Orthodox you called yourself a Christian. I live in a small village, everyone's crazy here. Just another a little thing, anon also mentioned that the Israelites were never ordered to kill the Canaanites... but it was also mentioned in the religious movie _The Encounter_ starring the lovely Jaci Velasquez. I'm not religious but if a religious movie tells you it's true - and it's something that doesn't exactly make them look great - then you kind of believe it. Sorry for the confusion anon! I haven't been religious since I was thirteen.

I am sorry if I just annoyed everyone with my ridiculously long A/N.

REVIEW lovelys? :)

* * *

**DARE ME, NOT**

**Chapter Three:**

"**The Ugly Heart Conjecture"**

**oOo**

"I swear, Mr Bouncer-man, I _am _twenty one" Clare said with the most determination in the world. She had never been great at drama, and even worse at lying. She could practically feel her palms sweat and her muscles tighten. Not to mention this went against all her morals and rules. But, she figured, if God could ask the Israelites to murder the Canaanites then she was sure he would forgive her actions, for the sake of protecting Adam. She bit her lip seductively and played with her curls. She made doe-eyes and tried to appear convincing. What she didn't expect next was the so-called '_bouncer_' to start burst out laughing. She folded her arms and fixed Eli with a narrowed gaze. "I thought that was working!" Clare cried, "Okay, tell me what I'm doing wrong".

Clare was not amused. It was Wednesday after school, and they were both sitting in the Dot, Eli playing the role of a bouncer and Clare trying to show Eli that she could fake her way in. Clare was beginning to enjoy spending time with Eli more and more and couldn't help but smile whenever he sought her out. She knew she had to keep things under control, or she would completely lose herself. She spent yesterday with Adam, and had to bite her tongue several times not to blurt out something cool that Eli had told her. She played it casual with Adam and even almost fooled him into thinking there was nothing going on. She didn't even really know what was going on herself. But here she was, drinking smoothies at the Dot with him and going over their strip club plan thoroughly.

"First of all, you want it to seem like you _are _twenty one so confidence is everything" Eli replied "If you act like you belong there, people will just assume you do. So don't be nervous; eye contact and a firm tone is key, but don't be rude, just assertive" Eli smirked, "And don't go too overboard. You want him to think that all you want is to get into the club, not that you want to start a private party with him in _his own _club" he raised his eyebrows and Clare gasped at him, horrified. "Second of all, don't bite your lip or do the doe-eyed thing. That just makes you look even younger. Play with your hair though, that'll work. And maybe show a little cleavage or something…" he trailed off, catching the darkening of Clare's eyes. He'd noticed that a lot lately and he wasn't quite sure why.

During their plan, Eli was absentmindedly drawing a weird symbol into his napkin. She had seen it before, on a sticker on Morty's back window.

"What does that mean?" Clare leaned in to see the symbol Eli was doodling. She couldn't help but notice the way he tensed up quite noticeably when her arm brushed against his. When she got a closer look at the napkin, she saw that the symbol was like the number eight on it's side. The more she thought about it, she had seen the symbol on Eli's wristband and on his notebooks. She could tell he was slightly hesitant to respond but the fact that he answered at all made her feel more assured that he was comfortable telling her. That fact alone made her chest feel fuzzy and warm.

"It's the symbol for infinity" Eli let out a deep breath, his eyebrows creased with emotion. He licked his lips, let his pen hover over the napkin and then turned to look at Clare. "Do you believe in forever, Clare?".

"Of course not" Clare replied, unsure of her answer. The way he was looking at her always made her feel like she was being deconstructed in his head. She wondered if he made anyone else feel like that. He probably did. "I mean" she added, looking away as if trying to calm her racing heartbeat, "Everything dies doesn't it? Nothing's forever" she blinked slowly, seeing the self confessed smirk appear on Eli's lips.

"That's not the answer I'd expect from a devout Christian girl" Eli said quietly and Clare froze, her blood going cold. He was right, what was she thinking? Why didn't she say there's a forever in Heaven? What was changing her process of thoughts? Eli? Or an unknown change in Clare herself?

"Clare, I'm kidding" Eli said when he noticed Clare's sudden change in expression and demeanour, "You don't have to hold back on your faith because you think I'll mock you or disagree. Even though I don't believe in a God, when you speak from your heart - about your religion or not - you end up making sense to me anyway".

Clare, just wanting to savour the moment between them, smiled back and simply said "Thanks". She noticed Eli's gaze wander down to the symbol again and could tell there was something else he was holding back. A part of Clare just wanted to dissect every inch of him and memorise it herself and the other part couldn't wait for him to open up to her in his own time.

"Her name was Julia" Eli whispered and Clare felt herself leaning in closer. "Julia Walker" Eli continued. "We met two years ago, at my old school, she just transferred in from France, her parents were Russian, but she was born in America and had moved to France when she was four. She had this incredible French accent. I knew her for a year first and then we started going out when we were sixteen. She was the best, we were so alike, but maybe that's the reason why we never lasted. Infinity was kind of our thing" he smiled sadly and Clare couldn't help but be so entranced. "The night we broke up was horrible, we had a fight and she stormed off. I haven't seen her since" he swallowed dryly, "Then things got rough at my old school, so we moved, here".

Clare could tell there was something else Eli wasn't quite mentioning but she wouldn't push him on it. In fact, as sad as this moment was, she wanted to take a picture of it and treasure it forever. This was the first time Eli Goldsworthy was actually opening up to her and telling her something about his life - without any hint or trace of sarcasm, wit or irony. "I'm really sorry, Eli" Clare said sadly. And then suddenly, as selfish as it was, she wasn't just sad for Eli. She was also sad for herself. Eli clearly wasn't over Julia. Hence the symbol drawing. "Do you still love her?" she could have cursed herself for sounding so pathetic and insecure but if Eli noticed anything he didn't let it show.

"A part of me will always love her, yeah" Eli scrunched the napkin into a ball in his fist, "But I was never in love with her. I was always in love with the idea of being in love. Julia and I were great, at first. But we were so alike, I mean, she could have been the female version of me. We even had the same dress sense" the corners of his mouth tipped up slightly. "Ironically, I think it was our similarities that made us so chalk and cheese towards the end of our relationship" he threw the balled up napkin towards the bin a couple yards away and smiled when it landed in successfully. "Not surprisingly now when I find a girl attractive, she's usually the complete opposite from me in every single way" he turned to stare at her and Clare felt her cheeks blush furiously.

Their library incident wasn't that far away from either of their minds. Clare suddenly felt the hot ache again and squirmed unconsciously in her seat, smiling nervously. She was going to have to deal with that stupid hormone sooner or later.

"Clare, are you okay?" Eli looked on the verge of laughing at her.

"Fine" Clare squeaked out. "I'm fine" she took a deep breath and giggled anxiously. "So, this _Sticky Ricky's _thing" she suddenly changed the subject. "I want to do it as soon as possible. Tomorrow night. Do you think you'll be free then?".

"I am free" Eli nodded back, "But even if I wasn't, I certainly wouldn't give up the opportunity to see little innocent Clare Edwards getting a lap dance" he grinned at her rolled eyes and poked his tongue out at her. "I know you're high in your morals and everything Clare but there's something about this dare that doesn't make sense. Why get you a lap dance? What's the point in that?".

"Because the Dare Overlord is probably going to be there in disguise or something, watching me squirm with anxiety. It'll probably be recorded and posted online" Clare grumbled, "That'll be around the time I'll be announcing my evil slutty secret twin".

Eli laughed at her joke and Clare's eyes lit up at his genuine smile. It wasn't often she got a genuine smile from Eli.

"How are you going to explain to your mother about your midnight frolic around the backstreets of town on a school night?" Eli suddenly asked.

"Well, that's the perfect thing" Clare said, a glint in her eyes, "My mom said she's spending the night at her boyfriend's house tomorrow so I'm free in the clear. Except I do have to watch out for my neighbour Irma, she liked to tell my parents everything I did when they weren't in the house. I remember having Adam over for dinner one time and we played the music a little louder than usual and then all of a sudden, my dad bursts in from work, looking like he ran all the way across town to get home, to break up the quote 'mad crazy sex' I was obviously having with Adam, all because of Irma".

Eli chuckled, surprised Clare even used the phrase 'mad crazy sex'. "You did never tell me about meeting your mother's boyfriend for the first time" he added suddenly.

"He's okay" Clare shrugged, "He's called Glen Martin, father of Jake Martin; this horrible kid I used to know. Just as long as they don't plan on getting married any time soon".

"What does your dad think about it?" Eli asked quietly.

"I wouldn't know, I haven't spoken to him in a couple of months" Clare suddenly looked away, "He moved out way before the divorce was finalised and then after that, it got harder to see him, because of his work and the distance. Whenever he's free, I'm busy and whenever I'm busy he's free. And then after a while… We just kind of stopped trying to meet up".

"I'm really sorry, Clare" Eli sighed sadly. "You're really amazing. And your dad's gonna realise that soon and kick himself for not making you a more important part of his life".

"It's fine" Clare brushed him off. "I'm not worried, really. Oh hey, did you phone up about that job here?".

"I did, they gave me the link to apply online so hopefully they'll let me know" Eli replied, "Getting paid to hang out at a place that I already love, who could ask for more?".

"You know you will actually have to work, right?" Clare laughed at Eli's mock-shock expression. Then his eyes trailed behind Clare and he glanced through the glass out onto the street. His eyes narrowed instantly. When Clare followed his gaze, she saw K.C, Jenna, Drew, Dave and Bianca outside heading towards the Dot.

"You wanna leave?" Eli asked Clare instantly.

"Not because of them" Clare shrugged her shoulders, "You stay here, Eli, they're your friends. But I do actually have to get home. My mom wants to lecture me about all the 'Do's' and 'Don'ts' when she goes to stay with Glen tomorrow. And also Adam wants to Skype me".

"Yeah, they're fantastic friends" Eli said sarcastically. "Since I found out it was K.C who messed you around, I can't even stand being around him. All he does is piss me off. Everything he says makes me want to punch him".

Clare smirked at him and gently let her fingers trace over Eli's, feeling the instant connection between them. "Have fun" Clare stood up and grabbed her bag as the Dot's doors opened and the trail of the arrogant Degrassi High populars walked inside. Eli stood up also, turning around to see Jenna's face first, smirking with a malicious kind of glee.

"Well, well, well" Jenna's eyes darted back and forth between Clare and Eli. "What do we have here? Is this where you've been spending all of your time, Eli? With Degrassi's regular table dancing Clare-bear?".

Eli rolled his eyes but didn't miss the look that K.C was giving Clare. It was a look of longing slash shock slash annoyance. Drew and Dave had their eyes raised directly at Eli, because only they knew about the secret dare. Bianca had her hands on her hips, looking like a regular Prima Dona. Eli suddenly wanted to tell K.C to keep his eyes on his own girlfriend and was almost about to, but Clare started talking first.

"Jenna" Clare said slowly as if she were talking to a retard, "Your mouth is open and sound is coming from it. This is _never _good". Clare faintly heard Eli crack up beside her and even Dave and Drew started to laugh.

"Cut it out" K.C glared at Drew and Dave as Jenna fixed Eli and Clare with a piercing glower.

"You think being a slut will get people to like you?" Jenna hissed at Clare.

"Well it worked for you, didn't it?" Clare asked mockingly.

"You can dance on tables and hang out with Eli all you like, Clare" Jenna snapped coldly, "But you'll never be one of us. Eli will always be one of us and you'll always not. And in five years time, when Eli looks back on this, he'll laugh at what a ridiculous thing he did, hanging out with Clare Edwards".

"Jenna, stop it" Eli barked. "I am right here you know".

"I'm doing you a favour, Eli" Jenna didn't even take her eyes off of Clare to answer him. She smiled sweetly, "You should probably go now, Clare. Don't you have Church mass or something?".

"That's a Catholic thing" Clare said "I'm a Christian".

"Potayto, potahto" Jenna shrugged boredly.

"You know Jenna" Clare began bitterly, "I may be a loner, fine. I may be a nerd because I love reading, fine. I may believe in God, fine. I may even be a virgin, fine. But I like all those things about myself. And the things I don't like, I still have time to change them. But you… You can never change the fact that you have an ugly heart. And you always will" she shoved past Jenna and K.C and stormed out of the Dot.

"God, what is her trauma?" Jenna said nastily.

"You really didn't have to do that, Jenna" Eli said angrily, "She was leaving anyway".

"Eli, what the hell is going on with you?" Jenna shook her head at him, "Why the fuck are you hanging out with Clare fucking Edwards? That girl's never done a sexual thing in her life".

"It's not always about sex" Eli glared back at her. "She's a nice girl. Why do you hate her so much?" he glanced over to K.C and already knew. Was Jenna really still jealous about Clare's past relationship with K.C?

"Look, it's not Eli's fault, Jenna, okay? Eli _has _to hang out with Clare" Drew said suddenly, "The other week Eli was given a-".

"You finish that sentence and I will never talk to you again" Eli cut him off.

"What?" Jenna narrowed her eyes, glancing back and forth between Drew and then Eli. "Somebody better tell what the fuck is going on with my group!".

"Ms Dawes told Eli he needed an English tutor because he's failing her class" Dave blurted out suddenly, surprising everyone. "And yeah she may be a loser and whatever but Clare's smart, she's in Eli's class, doing the same work as him. Ms Dawes paired them together and Eli asked me and Drew not to tell anyone because he knew how you would react".

Eli couldn't believe how fast his heart was beating. If Jenna ever got hold of the dare information, she would use it to crush Clare's heart, and his own. He glanced to Dave and tried to convey how much gratitude he owed him with one look. Dave nodded slightly back and Drew shifted from one foot to the other.

"For God sake" Jenna rolled her eyes. "That's all? You had me worried for a second there that our resident Grim Reaper was actually falling for Clare Edwards".

"Not our Eli" Dave said quietly.

"Well, good" Jenna took a seat and Bianca followed her. "Because Clare would never fit in with us. Who's going to get the drinks?".

"I will" Eli said, stoic. He headed towards the counter's queue with growing annoyance on his shoulders. What the hell was Drew thinking? He was ready to blow everything! If Dave hadn't of swooped in and saved his ass, he dreaded to think what would have happened next.

"Sorry man" a voice said behind him. It was Drew. "I just hate us all fighting about this. I thought telling Jenna might mean she would ease up on you".

"And hurt Clare in the process" Eli grumbled under his breath. "She's a nice girl. I don't want her to get hurt".

"Wait a minute" Drew said slowly, "Do you like Clare?".

Eli stayed silent and sighed.

"Oh my god, you _do_" Drew whispered, eyes wide. "What are you going to do?".

"I don't know" Eli admitted anxiously, biting his bottom lip. "I really don't know. I can't stop now that I've gotten to know her. I can't stay away. But I don't stay away then… the Dare Overlord has something over me, that could hurt Clare if she ever found out".

"And you do need money to rent an apartment before you lose your house and have to go live in New York" Drew grimaced.

Eli rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I just wish I'd gotten to know Clare before the dare made me. Then I wouldn't be feeling like a horrible person, walking around with this guilt on my chest".

"It's gonna be okay, man" was all Drew could say. "It'll work itself out".

"I hope so" Eli replied wistfully. Then he added suddenly, "So much for how well you all know me".

"What do you mean?" Drew frowned.

"I'm amazing at English, I would never fail Ms Dawes's class" Eli felt annoyed he even had to say it out loud.

"Oh" Drew replied awkwardly.

**oOo**

"Forget Bianca, I have a new crush" Adam declared through Skype. Clare came closer to her computer screen and felt a grin spreading across her lips. "It's Fiona Coyne" Adam added "You know, the Senior?". Fiona Coyne had long straight brown hair and a pretty face. She was, like Jenna, a bitch, but she, unlike Jenna, wasn't a bitch to anyone and everyone just for the sake of being one. Everyone knew Fiona had this long-running feud with Marisol, who was, like Jenna, a bitch just for the sake of being a bitch. "I bumped into her today and her books fell everywhere. Anyway picture it: me; being weird and picking up her books for her and Fiona actually smiled back and thanked me! Not one snarky comment or bitchy remark. It was bliss".

"That's great, Adam" Clare replied. She had to say, she was positively relieved that Adam had stopped liking her arch-nemesis's best friend. She already had enough involvement with that stuck up group to last her a life time, first with K.C, then with Jenna and now ironically with Eli. He was the only one she found enjoyable though. She figured, that Adam jumping from one stuck up bitch to a rich bitch wasn't so bad, considering the fact that she was entertaining the notion of getting to know Eli a lot more - but he nothing like those Populars. From what Clare knew of it, Fiona, bitchy as she might be, stayed out of High School politics like popularity and whatnot, and despite being a bitch, it made Clare already fond of her.

"So, how was Eli time?" Adam asked, eating a packet of crisps nosily on Clare's computer screen.

"I so have to print screen that moment" Clare giggled, leaning backwards in her computer chair. "I'm sorry, but stop calling it 'Eli time' whenever I hang out with Eli! You would like him if you got to know him better. You were supposed to have lunch with us today" she raised her eyebrow at him. "What happened? Did you fall, trip and temporarily forget that you had plans with your best friend?".

"Nope, I was bumping into the lovely Fiona Coyne" Adam smirked. "We were in the computer lounge when I nearly ran her down. After I helped her with her books, she thanked me! And then she looked like she had been crying so I simply offered her my sympathetic shoulder".

"Mmm, I wonder what could be so wrong with Fiona Coyne's life?" Clare said sarcastically, "Did her richy richy parents refuse to buy her a new car?".

"Actually, I think there's something going on with her family" Adam said, frowning. "She didn't give me any details but when I was picking up her books, I saw some printouts of these apartment complexes close to Degrassi High. When I asked her if she was okay, she started talking about being let down and wanting her own space. I think she's trying to rent her own apartment".

"It's alright for some" Clare said softly, "It'd kill for my own freedom".

"You seem sad" Adam said suddenly, "Did something happen with you and Eli?".

"Yes, no" Clare said quickly, shaking her head and making her curls fly everywhere.

"Which is it?" Adam asked, "Yes or no?".

"It wasn't Eli" Clare sighed, "It was just Jenna. She was annoying me at the Dot after school today".

"I knew she'd make you and Eli hanging out a big deal" Adam said, scolding Clare.

"But Adam, he didn't hide our friendship from his friends!" Clare cried, smiling. "I mean, K.C and I went out for three months and he couldn't even tell his friends. But Eli's my friend and he defended me, despite what his other friends thought. I'm telling you, he's not like his friends, he's different, mature, deep, thoughtful, considerate, kind-".

"Okay stop describing attributes of dogs" Adam interrupted, "You sound like you've taken Eli as your lover instead of your newly casual friend and don't think I didn't notice your entire face colour at the word 'lover', Clare".

"You're being overly dramatic, Adam" Clare rolled her eyes. "All I'm saying is, the last couple of days have been great. I've opened up to him about my problems, he's opened to me about some of his past. I think you could really like him, Adam. Will you please have lunch with us next week?".

"Fine" Adam shrugged, "If he makes you happy, then fine. But if he screws up, just once, then I'm punching him in the face".

Clare laughed, "Adam, you could not punch Eli in the face. For one he's taller than you and two, he would never let you!".

"I would sneak up behind him like a cheater and bite his head off" Adam shrugged mockingly. "I wouldn't even care about getting blood everywhere. I'd eat his little Emo head and then I'd vandalise his hearse and ironically hide the rest of his body in there".

Clare was clutching at her sides with laughter. "What if I turned you in for murder?" she asked jokingly.

"Clare, I'm a resourceful guy. I have many more disguises and tricks up my sleeve" Adam replied with a straight face.

"Good to know" Clare nodded slowly. "My mom's having her first sleepover with Glen tomorrow night, so much for sex before marriage, mom" she rolled her eyes. "She's such a hypocrite".

"Clare, your mother is like twenty years older than you" Adam said, laughing, "She's been there and done it with the whole marriage thing. Now she's probably just wanting to know how well her and Glen are, compatibility wise you know? She doesn't want to get hurt again".

"Wow, Hello Doctor Torres" Clare raised her eyebrows. "Oh no, you've been watching Oprah again, haven't you? Adam, I've told you about this. Oprah only gives people advice that'll work in the movies, her kind of advice will never work in real life. Seriously. You've got to stop watching her reruns. I'll put you onto Doctor Phil - now that's a man who can give advice".

"You lie" Adam raised his eyebrow up comically. "You lie big time, Clare Edwards. It's like Oprah says, people who put other people down only do it because inside, they're hurting also. We have to accept these bullies and hug them. And if that doesn't work, _then_ we can kick their ass".

"I'm switching you off now, Adam" Clare said, "Seriously. If you don't stop quoting Oprah, I'm shutting you down. I will".

"No you won't" Adam shook his head.

"Oh I will" Clare replied. "I will do it".

"Don't do it, Clare" Adam shoved his face right into his camera so his face was taking up Clare's entire computer screen. "I'll always be watching you Clare" he tilted his head and widened his eyes, hissing the words.

"You two are so weird" Helen passed Clare's doorway with a basket of laundry in her hands and Clare and Adam burst into a fit of laughter.

"I'll see you in school tomorrow, Adam" Clare said through her laughing.

"I'll be seeing you right now, Clare" Adam put on a deep monster-like voice. "I'll always seeing you" he paused, "Seriously, face time me in twenty minutes" he added in his normal voice.

"Will do" Clare grinned. "Bye!" she closed the Skype window and went to bed that night with a smile on her face. Everything seemed to be falling into place. Almost.

And from the inside, everything seemed perfectly normal - you couldn't tell anything was heading towards them, but from the outside, to another set of eyes that belonged to another ugly and treacherous heart, it had already been cursed.


	5. The Strip Club Experiment

**A/N: **This chapter did not come out like I planned it. I don't know, my mind really wasn't in a sexy mood when I wrote it. Also, you've probably noticed I'm incorporating some canon things or at least borrowing them and altering them, like Clare and K.C's relationship, and Helen and Glen's relationship. It probably does seem weird but it'll all make sense when it's over... I hope. Anyway, I hope it doesn't totally suck. Thoughts? :)

* * *

**DARE ME, NOT**

**Chapter Four:**

"**The Strip Club Experiment"**

**oOo**

"So" Adam began as he and Clare walked down the halls of Degrassi High on the Thursday afternoon. "What are your plans for tonight now that your mom's away? A wild crazy party? A drug like den experience? A movie night with your best friend?" he grinned. He took off his beanie and ruffled his hair. Clare bit her lip, wondering how to reply. She hated lying to Adam, but it was for his own good. He would never have to be humiliated as long as Clare did the dare and Adam never found out about it. Even Clare's eyes subconsciously searched the halls for Eli as she walked with Adam. It was beginning to become a bit of a habit. Adam munching nosily on a bag of crisps snapped her out of her thoughts. Going into a dream day during random times also seemed to be another growing habit of Clare's, but it something she couldn't help, control, or stop her feelings for Eli.

"Sorry, Adam, I'm just going to stay in and read and have an early night" Clare shrugged slowly. She didn't look at Adam's face because if she did, he would probably be able to tell she was lying. It was one thing making news friends and trying to include your old friends as well so they didn't feel left out, but it was a whole other thing lying to your old friends just so you could hang out with your new friends. But Clare knew it wasn't really like that, it just felt like that. She particularly wanted to see Eli today not because of the impending dare she was doing tonight, but mostly because of how she left things at Dot yesterday. She was pretty sure she gave Jenna everything she deserved, but in the back of her mind, she wondered how Eli thought about her handling the situation. She was pretty sure he liked her better than Jenna, but still, the doubt was there.

Clare stopped at her locker to take out her History textbook when Adam shrugged back, "Okays, I'll see you at the weekend, I guess". When Clare was about to reply, she was cut off by the distraction of Imogen Moreno, pinning a picture of a missing tabby cat on the Degrassi High bulletin board. Usually, Clare didn't have any time for Imogen but she was a little intrigued about the cat. Oh god, did Imogen look sad? Was it her cat? She was usually bopping around school, wearing cat ears and being a horrible, weird, bitch. Imogen sighed softly and turned around, seeing the attention of Adam and Clare suddenly on her. She walked towards them, already with the stuck up expression that she was probably born with. "Hello Juniors" Imogen said in that impish pixe-like voice of hers that grated on Clare's skin and generally annoyed everyone else. "That's my cat Toby, he's missing. If you find him, then find me".

"What happened to him?" Adam frowned, shifting from one foot to the other whenever he felt uncomfortable. He pulled on the straps of his backpack and tried to seem like he was actually interested. Clare gave Adam a 'thanks for asking more questions and making her stay even longer' look and turned back to Imogen to see that she was already staring at her. It was that kind of weird Imogen look that gave Clare the creeps. Imogen was weird, and not like a cute kind of eccentric weird, like, there was something going on behind that pretty face of hers, something darker than missing cats and stuck up expressions.

"Well, it might have had something to do with Dare Week" Imogen replied with an inappropriate smirk. "I was dared to do this silly little thing and I didn't. My deadline was yesterday, and suddenly I wake up and Toby's gone. Coincidence? I think not". Clare tried her best not to look at Imogen like she was certifiably crazy, because even if she was, that was just rude. But _still_. Imogen was actually trying to imply that the Dare Overlord(s) actually took her cat from her, as an act of punishment for not doing said dare. "I know, I know" Imogen said at the expression on Clare's face, "It sounds weird, but Toby's a housecat, and he's never been outside before. My mother was in hysterics this morning. We'll probably never get Toby back" she shrugged, "Oh well. Have a nice day" she turned on her heel and strutted off.

"I absolutely abhor that girl" Clare hissed out venomously.

"Do you really?" Adam said, smiling slightly, "Or is it because Imogen and Eli went to the Spring Formal last year together?". Clare did not need to be reminded of that, not now that she was beginning to feel for Eli what she always assumed she would never feel for anyone again. Last year, when Clare was a Sophomore and Eli a Junior, their Spring Formal dances were held together. The Seniors got their own night, because, well, they were Seniors. It was after Clare and K.C's painful break up and she went with Adam. Eli went with Imogen, Bianca with Drew, Jenna with K.C and Dave with a randomer named Sadie Rowland. Alli went to the dance solo and ended up in a closet several times that night, with five different guys - and one girl.

"I don't care that once a upon ago Imogen and Eli had one insignificant date night together" Clare said through gritted teeth. Even the lie felt wrong. "I'm totally fine with it. Plus, that was it. One insignificant date night. No major dating, no same night sex rumours the next day at school, no public kissing, no nothing. That totally doesn't bother me" she shrugged.

"What doesn't bother you?" the sound of Eli's voice made her heart skip a beat. Even just standing right next to him made her feel weak in the knees. The smile on her face was automatic. Clare turned around and felt her pulse quicken and temperature rise. Why did he always have to look so damn hot? With his messy shortened hair, dark jeans, boots and leather jacket. He honestly could have rolled out of bed and Clare would still find him attractive.

"Just the thought of-" Adam began playfully but was cut off when Clare reached out and punched Adam on the arm. "Nothing" Adam said as he shot Clare a mock shock look and turned to Eli, "Totally nothing".

"Right" Clare smirked at Eli, noticing the frown in his face. "Absolutely nothing".

"I got Computer class" Adam said suddenly, holding in his laugh. "See you later, Clare" he gave Eli a slight nod of his head, which Eli returned.

"Should I be worried?" Eli asked playfully the moment Adam walked away.

"Only if you believe in 2012" Clare replied, taking her textbook out of her locker and closing her locker door over. "So" she whispered slightly, "Are we still on for tonight?".

"Of course" Eli smiled back. He paused uncomfortably and then said, "I'm really sorry the way Jenna treated you yesterday. She's an absolute bitch, and I'm surprised somebody hasn't killed her yet".

"It's okay" Clare laughed slightly, "Usually I hate causing a scene but Jenna just riles me in all the right ways, because of… you know. I probably came across like a giant bitch as well".

"Not in the slightest" Eli shook his head as they began walking down the corridor. "I actually thought it was really…" he trailed off and Clare turned to look at him, encouraging him to finish his sentence. "Hot" the moment the word left his lips Clare felt a growing heat in her neck. Her stomach swooped with glee and her insides ached with want. Did he even know what he did to her?

Clare cleared her throat and Eli smirked as she struggled to accept the outright compliment. "What are you doing after school?" she asked suddenly.

"Well, after you left the Dot yesterday, I asked the guy behind the counter if they had looked at my application yet" Eli began, "And he said all their computers had crashed so he hadn't seen any applications and it would probably be a week before they could" he was grinning and Clare wasn't getting it.

"Oh no" Clare frowned. "What are you gonna-".

"Well, that's the thing" Eli interrupted her excitedly, "They hadn't seen any other applications and I was the first to come up and ask about the job since the computers crashed, so they gave me an impromptu interview today, after school and if they like me, I'm hired!".

"Oh my god, Eli, that's so great!" Clare cried back. On instinct, she leaned in to hug him and felt elated at his warmth. He hugged her back with the same pressure and couldn't help but smell her groomed hair. She smelled like a million flowers, all of the time and it baffled him how she did it. "If you get a job then you can start saving and finally rent an apartment. You won't have to move to New York" Clare whispered into his chest. The thought had been weighing heavily down on Clare's mind since he had told her everything while sitting in Morty.

"I know" Eli replied, his fingers entangled in her hair. "You smell so good".

Clare found a giggle. "You too".

"You know Clare" Eli began huskily, "Whenever we're hugging, or close together, I just feel… safe" his words made her head jerk towards his. They knew that they were attracting looks, standing in the middle of the hallway, clinging to each other like boyfriend and girlfriend but Clare didn't give a fuck what they thought. She was feeling alive just being near Eli and his words had a permanent home in her heart.

"I do too" Clare swallowed the lump in her throat. "I feel like you get me. Like no one else could" they slowly untangled themselves from each other and Clare readjusted her top, that had ridden up slowly in the hugging process. She smiled, a growing blush everywhere and Eli beamed down at her, wanting to soak in the memory of Clare forever.

"So, I'll pick you up tonight at half ten?" Eli said suddenly.

"Yes" Clare grinned back. "I'll definitely be ready then. Can you let me know if you get the job?".

"Yep" Eli smiled back, "The Dot shuts at ten so if I do get the job, it shouldn't go any later than that".

"Great".

**oOo**

_**Got the job! Couldn't have done it without you, Blue Eyes. I'm working Monday to Friday 4PM - 9PM and Saturday noon - 10PM. The pay's amazing; $9.86 per hour! That's like $300 every week! I'm working till 9PM tonight, so I'll head home, get changed and then pick you up at 10.30PM. Sound good?**_

Clare stared down at Eli's text, having just clambered out of the shower. She grinned and jumped up with glee, too happy to care that she was practically naked. Eli got the job! He could start putting money aside for renting an apartment! He could probably get his own with those kind of savings, he wouldn't even have to flat share! Clare could come visit him when she wanted her own freedom, they could have movie nights, maybe get a little… Her cheeks blushed like mad at that thought. But she reread his text at least twenty fives times before walking out of her bathroom and into her bedroom. _Couldn't have done it without you, Blue Eyes._ Her stomach flipped with absolute joy. Eli actually thought Clare had helped him, which she had, but only with a friendly shove. Eli did the rest. Hell, she could even go to the Dot and spend his break times with him. Clare knew she was getting way ahead of herself.

She turned on her bedroom television, switched from her damp towel to her fluffy bathrobe and plopped down onto her bed, her wet hair sending water drops everywhere. She beamed as she typed back; _**Eli, that's amazing! That was all you! I'm so happy you don't have to go to New York! I'm no math whiz but if you're working 35 hours a week at $9.86 per hour, then that's $345.10 EVERY WEEK! Do you know how much money you could save in a month if you didn't spend a dime? $1,380.40! I'll help you start looking for apartments if you want! See you tonight! **_Clare smiled to herself and lay down on her stomach, picking up the television remote to change the channel. She ended up on the local news channel, which she was about to change over, except the glimpse of a familiar name made her freeze. The newsreader on the screen was reporting a breaking local story and the headline beneath her read; _WEALTHY COYNE FAMILY IN FRAUD INVESTIGATION? _Clare narrowed her eyes._ Coyne._ As in Fiona Coyne? She turned up the volume and listened to the reporter;

"_Local family Laura and Richard Coyne have come under the investigation of fraud surrounding the charity that the Coyne's work for. Investigators say that while the investigation is still underway, there is a sufficient amount of evidence to place Laura and Richard Coyne under house arrest in New York City; their one of many homes before moving to Toronto. Their son is at Yale University and will not be implemented during the investigation, the same going for his twin sister, a Senior at Degrassi High who will be remaining at the Coyne's Toronto residence until further plans can be made. More on this story tomorrow"._

Clare turned off the television and grabbed her phone, promptly texting Adam; _**Have you seen the news? Fiona and her family are all over it. Looks like she does have some family issues…**_ She hit the send button and sat up, padding downstairs to make herself an early dinner, the only reason being that she didn't want to eat later and run the risk of throwing up in _Sticky Ricky's _later. She wasn't entirely sure what one wore to a strip club, or what the hell she'd say if anyone she knew saw her there, but, Clare had to be relieved that she probably wouldn't see anyone she knew there, because she simply didn't know people who liked to spend their times in strip clubs. Besides herself, of course. She thought about what Fiona Coyne must be going through and felt sympathy swell in her heart. So she hadn't always thought highly of Fiona, but she would never have wished anything as tragic as this to happen to her. Her whole family was ripped apart, all in different places and chances were, Fiona was going to get a lot of hate for something her parents may or may not have done.

When Clare had finished eating her dinner, she went upstairs, brushed her teeth, plucked her eyebrows and deep cleansed her face with moisturizer. She then dried her hair with a blow drier and curled her wavy hair into place with a curling iron. She did her make up yet and listened to her mother's voicemail from work. Helen was telling her to behave, to go to bed early and not to have any friends over past ten, including Adam. Clare rolled her eyes, deleted the message and slowly applied some mascara to her eyelashes. She lounged around in her room for a couple hours, not even bothering to get dressed as she watched a movie. When she finally did get dressed, she choose her blue jeans, converses and a simple white thank top that clung to her curves. She was downstairs, watching a rerun of _F.R.I.E.N.D.S_ when the doorbell went. Her head snapped up the clock and she couldn't believe it was already 10.24PM. She turned off her television, grabbed her denim jacket and raced to the front door, grabbing her keys in the process.

When she opened the door, she couldn't help but grin when she saw Eli standing there, looking so delectable.

"I'm a working man now" Eli declared happily.

"Yes you are" Clare grinned back.

"Thank you, Clare" Eli suddenly leaned in and kissed Clare on the cheek. His proximity was thrilling her and the smell of his coconut shampoo took over her senses. His lips were hot and pulsing under her cheek and all she wanted to do was grab his full lips and bite them.

"I did nothing" Clare pushed him gently, letting her hand linger longer on his shoulder than it needed to. They stepped out of her doorway and she closed the front door behind, preceding to lock it.

"Ready for humiliation?" Eli asked as they walked towards Morty, his eyes drifting over her figure.

Clare opened the passenger door to Morty and shot him a look. "Oh absolutely".

**oOo**

_Sticky Ricky's _was a disgusting little cowboy themed strip club, hidden in the alleyway of shame and deceit, ironically right across the street from a Church. Clare couldn't even look at the cross on her neck, or the Church as she and Eli walked towards the front doors. Eli was beginning to walk incredibly close to her all of sudden and smiled when she thought of how protective he was being. They both had their fake ID's at the ready but there wasn't even a bouncer at the door. So much for their need to plan.

They walked inside and were both instantly greeted with loud slutty cowboy music - if you could even call that a music genre - and the smell of sweat, cigarettes, tobacco, money and shame. Clare winced at the sight in front of her. To the right there was a bar, manned by the burliest looking men she had ever seen in her life. To the left, there were two dancing cages, which were housing two nearly naked girls, both wearing slutty cowboy-like outfits. At the end of the room was a main stage with three poles spaced evenly apart. The gap between the front door and the stage was filled with multiple tables and chairs. Some were empty and some were taken by stereotypical men, drinking a little too heavily on the beer.

"This place makes me want to be sick" Clare muttered.

"We can still back out, Clare" Eli looked anxious. "I'm not getting a good vibe".

"I can't back out" Clare turned to face him. "Imagine your worst secret, the one that kept you up at night the most, imagine your worst enemy knowing that secret. If you could do something to stop your enemy, wouldn't you do it?".

Eli nodded slowly.

"Well Adam can't do that" Clare replied "And I can. So if I have an opportunity to save my best friend, then I'll do it".

"You amaze me more and more everyday, Clare Edwards" Eli said quietly.

"And I really appreciate this" Clare felt her heart skip a beat, "Coming here with me, to make sure I'm okay. Thank you".

"Are you two kids lost?" a voice interrupted them and Clare turned to see what was presumably a stripper, dressed in the same slutty cowboy outfit the dancing caged girls were wearing. "ID's, now" the stripper demanded.

Clare and Eli both took out their ID's and handed it over. The stripper checked their faces and looked a little annoyed as she handed them back. "No offence guys, but you too look really young. Anyway, what can I do for you? A dance for the gentlemen? A drink for the lady?".

"I want the Midnight Special" Clare said with force as her insides shook with nerves.

"Are you sure you want that?" the stripper looked at Clare up and down. "I mean, sure you're cute but… Do you _really _want that?".

Clare glanced to Eli nervously and then back to the stripper, "Yes".

"Fine" the stripper licked her lips, smirking. "Follow me" she raised a hand to Eli when he started to walk as well. "Sorry, no guys for the Midnight Special. It's a girls only option".

"Where are you taking her?" Eli asked, alarmed.

"Just to the back" the stripper looked confused. Then she smiled, "Look, don't worry about her. She'll be back out here in five minutes anyway" she turned to Clare, "Are you coming?".

Clare glanced to Eli, noticed his worried face and nodded slowly.

"I'll be right out here" Eli said to Clare, "Just scream my name and I'll come running".

"Okay" Clare smiled and turned to follow the stripper. They walked to the side of the bar, through a door and into the back room. "I'm Clare, by the way" Clare said as she noticed the open dressing room. It was full of mirrors, vanity make up sets, and racks of slutty outfits and heels.

"Roxanne" the stripper replied boredly. "You ever done this before, Clare?" she pushed Clare in front of a mirror and slipped off her denim jacket before Clare could say another word, leaving her slightly shocked.

"Uh" Clare wrapped her arms around herself, "What are you-".

"Size?" Roxanne interrupted her, walking over to the racks.

"Excuse me?" Clare's eyes widened.

"What is your size?" Roxanne asked her, before checking Clare's denim jacket label "4 - 6" she dropped Clare's denim jacket and preceded to go through the outfits. "This one should fit" she produced a slutty Indian outfit. "It's more for the cowboys and Indians themed night, but I don't see management complaining really".

"What?" Clare gasped as Roxanne shoved the outfit into Clare's hands.

"We usually just get changed right here, we're all girls, right?" Roxanne ignored her. She noticed Clare's stricken face and frowned. "Is there a problem?".

"What exactly is the Midnight Special?" Clare asked bluntly.

"Isn't it obvious?" Roxanne replied. "You put on that outfit, dance and then the tips jar gets passed around. _Sticky Ricky's _gets 10 percent of whatever you commission of course".

Clare's jaw dropped. "I'm supposed to get up on that stage and _dance_?" she asked, horrified. "I thought the Midnight Special was to _get _a lap dance, not to _give _one!".

"Well, now you know" Roxanne shrugged. "I've got to get back out there sweetie, so what are you doing? Are you in or are you out?".

**oOo**

Eli sat down at one of the tables, scanning the strip club for any sign of Clare. She'd been gone not even five minutes and already he was starting to worry. Why did the Midnight Special need to be held in a back room? What was the point in that? Aren't the strippers out here? Eli wondered if he should go get himself a soda when the stage's main light came on and all the men around him cheered. He frowned, glancing around at them like the animals they were. Eli turned his attention to the stage, still hyperaware of Clare's ever missing presence. A speaker announced the 'Midnight Special' was coming up and Eli snapped his head round so fast he thought he might have just snapped his own neck. _The Midnight Special?_ When Eli saw Clare step out onto the stage, his palms exploded with sweat, his whole body screamed with adrenaline, his heart thudded furiously and all of his blood travelled down south. What the hell was she doing? Why was she up there? Eli stood up, frowning at Clare through the distance.

She looked timid on the stage and she was gazing back at Eli with a 'holy crap' kind of expression. Eli's widened eyes took in her soft flesh and curves. She was wearing an indecent Indian outfit; a crop top and a short skirt, with a headband with a feather sticking out of it. She was barefoot and he knew he shouldn't have found her whole practically naked image so bloody appealing given the environment. She really looked her age on the stage, something that did not agree with him. Suddenly, music started up and Clare looked ready to pass out. Clare was surprised she had actually survived the social embarrassment of dancing on her Principal's table with her best friend to a crowd of ten people. But here, she was practically half naked, by herself, on a big stage with a giant spotlight, to a crowd of young and old drunk men. Her one wish in that very moment was to have the ground open up and swallow her.

Clare took a deep breath. Roxanne said the Midnight Special only lasted five minutes, because they had many other girls wanting to do it. Yeah, like that was normal. So five minutes. That's all she had to get through. Five minutes. It took Clare about 20 seconds to fully loosen up. A kind of adrenaline kicked in and she started swaying her hips Shakira-style. Eli raised his eyebrows, staring at Clare in shock. This made up for missing Clare's dancing on Principal Simpson's table in so many ways. Clare strode forwards, grabbed the nearest pole to her and dipped backwards. She let herself go in the music, shaking her hips and shoulders and swinging her head round to the beat of the song and while she was dancing, all of her problems just seemed to fade away. Eli felt his throat go dry at the sight of Clare, wrapped one leg around the metal pole and bending backwards to show her flexibility. What kind of dare was this? Clare was killing it.

At the same time, as much as Eli was enjoying watching Clare shake her ass, he did not like all these forty year old men ogling, leering and jeering at Clare like she was a piece of meat. Not that she seemed to notice, given how lost in the moment she was. And looking back on this particular event in time, Eli would have to say this, right there, is the moment when he fell in love with Clare. And not because she was half naked, grinding the pole like a stripper, but because, this was Clare. A confident independent girl who would do just about anything for her best friends. Watching Clare lose herself was like finally seeing the real her. Finally peeling back through the layers of pain and hurt and fear and seeing Clare Edwards, the other half of his extremely messed up soul. It wasn't long before the music had ended and then suddenly, without staying even a second to enjoy the cheers and applauding, Clare turned and ran off the stage.


	6. The Midnight Expedition

**A/N: **There was a lot more I wanted to happen after Clare does her strip club dare, so this is just a continuation from chapter four! Review lovelys? :)

* * *

**DARE ME, NOT**

**Chapter Five:**

"**The Midnight Expedition"**

**oOo**

Eli, without even thinking about what he was doing, ran forwards, took a jump, leapt onto the stage and disappeared into the back to follow after Clare. He dodged past another stripper who yelled at him and ran on until he found Clare, back against the cold wall. She looked like she was crying. "Clare?" Eli ran up to her and placed his hands on her cheeks, "Clare? Are you okay?" he locked eyes with her, just wanting to know that she was okay. If anything, she looked more shocked than traumatised and he suddenly felt complete anger and loathing for whoever the 'Dare Overlord' was. How dare he/she/they command people to do these dares and then punish them if they don't? How dare they blackmail a sixteen year old girl into parading around like a whore? How dare they ask him to sleep with Clare, like she's nothing, all for money? He felt sick with himself, that he had even considered it at one point. But not now. Now, he knew Clare, now he had feelings for Clare that transcended whatever he ever had with anyone else. Now, he had a job and a way to save money. He didn't need the dare or it's filthy money. He just didn't know what the Dare Overlord was going to do about it.

"I'm fine" Clare let out a deep breath. "That was just a bit overwhelming" she shook her head and felt herself embracing Eli's warmth in a welcoming hug. "Oh my god, I'm practically naked" she grimaced. She looked up to him. "Be honest. That was totally ridiculous wasn't it?" she bit her lip and held her breath as Eli took off her Indian headband slowly, cupping her face with his palm. His mouth came so close to hers and their breaths mingled. Eli smiled and Clare's eyes fluttered shut. Both heartbeats were racing, their skin tingling on edge with their own kind of adrenaline. Whenever Eli came within 5 yards of Clare, he couldn't see anyone else. She was his lighthouse, the only light that shined for him, whenever he was lost in a sea of darkness and despair. And she didn't even know it. Clare parted her lips and Eli smiled, his eyes darkening with lust. He knew she felt what they had. It was hard not to. Eli pressed Clare against the wall, pushing every inch of him into her and feeling warmth in his lower abdomen when Clare whispered his name. Her chest heaved and Eli couldn't miss the movement of Clare's breasts against his chest, igniting a powerful fire that made him swear. He felt Clare's arms wrap around his shoulder blades and her nails dig into his back.

"This isn't a fucking orgy club" Roxanne's voice interrupted their moment, swaying her hips with drama as she walked towards Clare and Eli, who had parted instantly at the sound of her voice. She was holding a plastic jar halfway full of one dollar bills. If Clare didn't feel like a prostitute before, well, she did now. "The club already took our cut. What's left is yours. Take the money, leave the jar on the vanity dresser and make sure the outfit goes back on it's rack" she handed Clare the jar and pulled a brown envelope out of her skirt. "Oh, somebody left this for you. They said you 'deserved it'" she handed it over and shrugged when she saw Clare's puzzled face. "Accept it, kid. You're an alright stripper".

"She's not a stripper" Eli practically barked and Clare placed a warm hand on his arm.

"Whatever" Roxanne rolled her eyes, "You've got five minutes to scat, Clare".

Eli held the plastic jar as Clare ripped open the brown envelope and pulled out five one hundred dollar bills. Roxanne's, Eli's and Clare's eyes popped open wide.

"Damn girl" Roxanne gasped, "That's the most anyone's ever gotten!".

"$500" Clare said, glancing at Eli, "$500 _exactly_. Roxanne, who gave this to you?".

"I don't know; some guy, he was my height, slim, wearing a cowboy hat and long oversized beige jacket. Real Sherlock Holmes impersonator, didn't really see his face, his long collar and hat were hiding everything. He told me to give it to you backstage. Funny how he didn't mention anything about money. He just handed me it and ran out the front door" Roxanne rolled her eyes and strutted off.

"You think it's from the Dare Overlord?" Eli was already reading Clare's thoughts.

"It has to be" Clare sighed, "What does that mean? Are they going to leave Adam alone now?".

"I don't know" Eli felt his heartbeat thudding with fury. He had been standing in the same room as the person who had dared him to sleep with Clare. And they liked playing mind games. "Why blackmail you to do this and then reward you for it?".

"Think about it Eli" Clare said as she walked over to the rack of clothes and grabbed hers down. "Dress an insecure little girl up like a slut and get her to dance in front of everyone. And as if that's not bad enough, give her money, so she feels just like the prostitute she looks" she shook her head, and then suddenly, it just hit her. Like the smell of old drunken men. It just came to her. "Oh my god, I know who the Dare Overlord is".

"Who?" Eli's eyes bulged.

"It's Jenna!" Clare declared.

"_What_?" Eli felt his entire being go into shock. Jenna was the…

"Turn" Clare demanded and Eli turned on the spot, his back facing her as she got undressed quickly. He was still frozen like a statue, the colour drained away from his face.

"Okay, just think about it, right" Clare began. "Alli gets a dare to dance, like a slut, on the Principal's table and then, out of pure luck, I show up when she does her dare and Jenna dares me to get up there. And it's like, the way she said it. Like she just knew something that I didn't. Alli gets dared on the Monday, right? And I get dared on the Friday, and the Midnight Special ends up being _giving_ a lapdance instead of _getting_ one; practically the same dare as Alli's - give or take a few little details like the environment and costume. Okay you can turn" she had finished dressing and shoved the cheap little Indian outfit on the rack.

"So you think Jenna dared Alli on the Monday and then dared you with a similar dare on the Friday because you pissed her off? She's not that smart. And Jenna's not rich either" Eli turned, enjoying Clare's flustered cheeks. "Where is she getting the money to hand out $500 a piece a dare? I honestly don't think it's Jenna".

"Give me one other good reason why" Clare shrugged.

Eli practically squirmed on the spot. _Because I got dared to sleep with you and if Jenna was the Dare Overlord, she'd have used that piece of information to hurt you already, _Eli thought guiltily. God. She could tell he wasn't being completely truthful and he hated having to hold things back from Clare. But instead of coming clean and hoping everything would work itself out, Eli said the first thing that came to mind. "That stripper Roxanne said it was a guy. Tall, slim, jacket, hat".

"Okay, but she also said that she couldn't see a face" Clare reasoned back. "That easily could have been Jenna. And even if that Sherlock Holmes impersonator wasn't Jenna, then maybe she's not working alone, maybe the Dare Overlord is a group of them" they'd mentioned that theory before, on the Monday that Clare got detention for table dancing with Alli in Principal Simpson's office.

"Dave never mentioned his dad saying it was a group" Eli said suddenly, "But I guess you could be right".

"Dave's dad?" Clare asked, taking the one dollar bills out of the jar. She took them out and folded them flat against her palm, counting them briefly. Eli watched her with amusement.

"Yeah, Dave said his dad was a Dare Overlord in his heyday" Eli shrugged casually, suddenly wishing he hadn't said anything at all now. "It was always a Senior and the Dare Overlord only knew who his successor was, never the predecessor, because they handed everything down to their chosen successor anonymously. It's pathetic, I know" he shrugged.

"Fifty dollars" Clare suddenly laughed, "That's how much I'd make if I was a stripper. How lame is that? Here" she pushed the fifty his way.

"What?" Eli gaped with confusion, "I'm not taking your prostitute money" he added, smiling slightly.

"Eli" Clare laughed. "Seriously, I'm being serious. Put this into your savings account, it'll help you get the ball rolling. I mean it, Eli. I want you to have this. You mean a lot to me and if I can help you stay here, even when everything in your life is falling apart, then I will. So let me be selfish and keep you at Degrassi, alright? Besides, what's fifty dollars between friends?".

"I'm not taking your money, Clare" Eli turned and headed for the door that led them out into the front bit of the strip club. Clare followed after him, rolling her eyes. If Eli slowed down for even a minute and felt the emotions in his heart fully, at Clare's words, then he would break down and confess everything about the dare to her. But then he'd ruin everything. And she'd probably never talk to him again. He probably deserved it.

"You're being a child about this but I'm not giving up" Clare said. The moment she finally stepped outside, the cold air hit her and she felt much better than she did twenty seconds ago. The smell of beer and tobacco was gone from her mind. She shoved the fifty dollars into the brown envelope that was holding the tainted $500 and looked up to see Eli waiting for her to cross the road with him. "You're so cute, Eli. You know I can cross the road myself. I'm a fully grown woman now, haven't you heard?" she beamed at Eli's laugh, "Oh yeah, they have big things planned for me in that little seedy strip club" Clare continued as Eli wrapped his arm around her shoulder and they crossed the road together, heading towards Morty.

"Oh I'm sure they do" Eli chuckled sarcastically.

"What the hell is little Clare Edwards doing out at this late hour?" a voice interrupted their laughing and Clare whipped her head round to see…

"Jake?" Clare gasped. Jake Martin was suddenly standing in front of them, in the middle of the street. Morty was only a few yards away. Eli suddenly tensed beside Clare and Clare felt her heartbeat in her throat. God, what if Jake told her mother? Wait, what the hell was he doing out here anyway?

"What are you doing here?" Clare asked, exasperated.

"I could ask you in the same thing" Jake fired back at her. Then he added, "Our parents went to bed early after their stupid romantic movie. They were playing slow love making music, it was just painful. They didn't even hear me open my bedroom window and climb down the drain pipe" he had already noticed Eli, "So what is Clare and her boyfriend doing out so late?".

"Eli's a good friend" Clare replied sharply. "And we're just out… getting some fresh air" she paused. "Please don't mention this to my mother. She would freak".

"I'm Jake" Jake needlessly introduced himself to Eli with a smirk on his face.

"Eli" Eli said, voice brittle. If looks could kill, Jake would have already been six feet under.

"Jake" Clare interrupted their casual glaring at each other. "You're not going to tell my mother are you?".

"Course he's not" Eli replied to Clare but kept his eyes on Jake. "Because then Jake will have to explain to his daddy why he was even able to see you at this time of night".

"My _daddy's _reaction would be nothing compared to the hell Clare would get from her mother" Jake gloated. "And besides, if I told Helen that Clare was out cavorting with…" he gestured to Eli, "The Angel of Death, then I'm pretty sure she would ban Clare from ever seeing you again. I take it she doesn't know you're friends, right?".

Clare grabbed onto Eli's arm and yanked him back when she felt him moving forwards. "Jake!" Clare spat. "Don't be so horrible! Just don't tell my mother!".

"On one condition" Jake smirked.

"What's that?" Eli barked.

"Clare owes me a favour" Jake shrugged, "That's it. One little favour. That I can call on, whenever I want. Clare can't say no".

"She's not sleeping with you" Eli said through gritted teeth.

"That's gross" Jake said matter-of-factly. "Considering… Well, you might as well find out now Clare, I mean you're going to find out tomorrow anyway; we're going to be stepsiblings!".

"What?" Clare gasped, horrified.

"Yeah, that's what tonight was about" Jake rambled on, beaming with a bitter smile. "The romantic meal, the lit candles, I stayed in my room the entire night. And then my dad asked your mom to marry her. And she said yes. Hence the painfully awkward slow love making music. So, get used to see my face, step-sis, we're going to be rooming soon enough!".

"I hate you" Clare spat, turning her back on him. She swallowed painfully, hot tears in her eyes as she ran towards Morty. Eli was already opening the Driver door when she closed hers. Jake had carried on his walk and gallivanted off. Clare wiped her tears angrily and shook her head. "I'm so stupid. I thought my mom was going to take things slowly this time. I thought-I thought, her and my dad meant something, that she would at least take another year before just…" she screamed out in frustration and felt a soothing calm wash over her when Eli pulled her into his arms. Morty had become like their place of mutual comfort whenever they felt sad and even though Clare didn't like Morty, he was slowly, slowly growing on her.

"I'm sorry, Clare" Eli stroked her back soothingly. "That guy's a dick. He might not even be telling you the truth. It might have been some stupid lie to get you to confront your mom and start a fight".

"That's the funny thing" Clare said quietly, "It's not like I can ask her outright, because, I'm not supposed to know, I'm not supposed to be out here, at 11.30PM on a school night, running into stupid assholes like him! God, when did everything become about lies and deceit?" she turned to Eli and whispered against him, "God, Eli. I feel like you're the only one who can be real with me and vice versa. Everyone I know has a secret or an issue, whether it's my mom, or my dad, or Adam but you… You're real with me. I miss that simplicity when I was a kid, everything was just so black and white, right and wrong, and now there's so many grey areas I can't even keep count anymore".

"Clare" Eli's voice choked in his throat. How could he keep deceiving Clare, when she thought he was completely honest with her? The guilt and pain weighed down heavily on his heart. Clare lifted her head up so they were looking at each other but still embraced. "I haven't been completely honest with you" Eli licked his lips out.

"With what?" Clare frowned, holding her breath.

Eli panicked. This was it. Sink or swim. Burn or bail. If he told her, he would ruin every ounce of trust she ever placed in him. And then he knew no matter how much he hated lying to her and deceiving her, he knew he couldn't lose her. Not yet. Not like this, when she had just found out her mother was newly engaged. "I haven't been honest about Julia" Eli heard himself saying, because he knew if he couldn't tell Clare one truth, then he was going to tell her another.

"Okay" Clare whispered, looking into his eyes. If he told her he still had feelings for Julia, Clare might have actually considered becoming a full time nun.

"When I said Julia and I broke up and I hadn't seen her since, I lied" Eli blurted out. "I did see her after that night… But it was in a hospital".

Clare's eyebrows rose in shock and she waited for Eli to continue.

"When Julia left that night, when we broke up and she stormed off on her bike, she was hit, by a car. It was a middle aged man, who was driving through the city, on his cell phone" his eyebrows furrowed angrily, "Her sister called me that night, told me to come up to the hospital".

"Oh Eli" Clare gasped sadly.

"At first, they didn't think she was going to make it" Eli added. "And then she stabilized".

"So she's not dead?" Clare looked relieved.

"No" Eli shook his head, his thoughts still elsewhere. "Clare, she's been in a coma, ever since that night. For over a year. Just lying on a bed, hooked up to a machine. The Doctors say she could wake up at any moment, or she may never wake up at all. One Doctor said her heart might even just give out, despite being on a machine. But Julia's family have kept her alive, in the hope that she'll wake up by herself one day".

"Oh my god" Clare whispered, horrified. "I can't even imagine…" she shook her head.

Eli smiled sadly back. "Her family want nothing to do with me, not that I blame them. I'd only seen Julia a couple times before they had me barred. Her sister blamed me particularly, but why shouldn't she? It was my fault, if Julia hadn't stormed off with her bike, she would never have gotten hit. She wouldn't be lying on a hospital bed, as her entire family watches her life pass right in front of their eyes".

"Eli" Clare struggled with an overwhelming emotion. "Eli, please don't ever think like that. This was not your fault. It was an accident. It wasn't your fault".

Eli fixed his eyesight on Clare's jeans. "Things got really bad at my school when I went back. Some even said I pushed her out onto the road. It was horrible. So I transferred, to Degrassi. And she's still in that coma, breathing her life away as I live mine. How is that fair?".

"Because you can't measure your life to hers" Clare said, interlocking their fingers. "It's a horrible thing that's happened to her, Eli. But it wasn't your fault. And you never know, medical science is advancing all the time. She may wake up".

"And she might not" Eli sighed troubledly "And then I'd have her death on my conscience forever".

"And I'd be there for you" Clare said with determination in her voice. "I would never let you believe that. Because you're a good man, Eli Goldsworthy. And you have a good heart".

"No matter what happens next, Clare" Eli said abruptly. "No matter what happens in two week's time, or even a month's time, just promise me one thing".

"Anything" Clare murmured.

"Promise me that you won't hate me" Eli whispered so vulnerably.

"I promise" Clare frowned and pulled him back in for a hug. And if Clare had to pick a moment in time, that single moment where she fell in love with Eli, it would have been this one right here.

**oOo**

After Eli drove Clare home and promised to text her when he got home, she finally slumped into bed just after midnight. So many thoughts were going through her mind. The dare was finally over, Adam was hopefully in the clear, she had lied to him about tonight, her mother was newly engaged, she was $550 richer than before, Eli had more baggage than she thought, Jake was going to be her step-brother. Everything just seemed too much suddenly. She let out a deep breath and turned over on her side, smiling at a text message on her phone from Eli. He had arrived home safely. One more thing Clare didn't have to worry about. For Clare, depending on someone was hard and letting them, even harder, but with Eli, it just felt right, and natural, like it was meant to be. She and Eli were meant to be. She knew how silly that sounded to a logical person, because she and Eli hadn't even kissed yet but there was something about being around him and holding him that told her everything she already suspected. They had a spark, a fuse, an ignition - something that most people searched for their entire lives and never found.

Their touch set each other off, their skin crackled with electricity, their gazes shone like stars and every time she wasn't with him, she felt unsettled. A simple smile from Eli could fix everything. Was this what it was to be in love? To need someone, so completely? To give yourself to someone unconditionally and hope for the best? It was a giddy kind of feeling, like spinning around, really fast. It was like a sunset evening on the pacific horizon. It was rare and treasured and something that not everybody got to experience. They were becoming so close, sharing secrets and being there for each other - becoming each other's rock. Clare could tell she couldn't stop what they had started now even if she wanted to - which she didn't. Eli was consuming almost her every thought - and she didn't even care. To love so deeply, that it consumes you… That's what she always wanted. That's what she thought her parents had.

She tossed and turned for an hour, annoyed that her head was so full she literally couldn't let go and fall asleep. After sighing again, she sat up, grabbed her phone and dialled one of her speed dials. It rang seven times and eventually went to voicemail. Then she heard her dad's voice. _"Hi, you've reached Randall. Either I'm busy or I can't pick up right now but go ahead and leave your name and number after the beep and I'll get back to you"._

Once the voicemail beeped, Clare cleared her throat and began, "Dad, it's… Clare. I know we haven't spoken in a while but I just missed your voice. I just wanted to see if you were free soon, which it's fine if you're not, totally fine… You're busy and I'm busy. Things are changing so fast, with me, and school and mom" she inhaled deeply, "She's really progressing, you know? She's… She's going to change my life all over again and I don't know how to handle it. I know you're all the way across the city and busy, but… I don't know, maybe… maybe I could come stay with you for a bit… you know if things get any weirder, which they probably will-".

"_Message space is full. Please call again if you wish to continue" _the automated phone voice said abruptly, cutting Clare off. The sound of the dial tone rang out loud and clear in her ears. She sighed, shut her phone over and slumped back into her bed. So she couldn't blame her mom for not feeling the kind of love everybody deserves. She couldn't blame her parents for splitting up and trying to find true happiness. But she often noted that they failed to understand the kind of destruction their happiness caused hers. The upheaval and the damaging change - although is better in the long run - still hurt Clare's heart at night when she remembered times when her family was a real family. Back before Darcy was raped and she hadn't left for Africa, back when it was just Clare, Helen, Randall and Darcy Edwards; the perfect four.

Now, she hardly saw her father, never saw Darcy and barely connected with her mother. Maybe that's why she had such a strong bond with Adam, or even felt that instant connection with Eli so suddenly. She knew she was lonely but aren't most people? She wasn't a minority really. Eli was lonely, over his guilt about Julia's accident and coma. Adam was lonely, because nobody really knew who Adam was, not the real Adam. He had to keep his self-loathing a secret because explaining why he hated his own skin and body would ruin everything. She used to think her mother was lonely - until now apparently. Enter Glen Martin, no longer her boyfriend of several months and now in fact, her fiancé. She was thinking of putting on a movie when her phone dinged. Her whole being practically lit up with joy when she saw it was a text message from Eli; _**Stop worrying your pretty little head about things that you can't change. Everything will work it's self out. The people that care about you, will always be there for you, including me. Now go to sleep, Blue Eyes!**_

Clare just stared at his text for a moment, blushing and grinning and beaming at the same time. How he could even know that she would be up, worrying, didn't even surprise her. Somehow, through all the loneliness in the world, two equally lonely and tormented souls had found each other. To love someone that it consumes you, that you know them inside out… That's what life was all about wasn't it? Making connections with strangers, helping them, learning about yourself and being a better person. That's all anybody ever wanted, isn't it? Eli knew Clare and in some ways, that both excited and terrified her. Imagine meeting someone who will understand even the dustiest corners of your twisted and tormented soul. Having that, over anything, is what made you the richest person in the world.

Having the kind of understanding that Clare and Eli had was so rare, it transcended anything they'd ever experienced before and describing it in words could not do it justice. It, much like the Lord's presence Clare imagined, had to be experienced before it could be understood. And once you understood it, you had everything you ever needed, didn't you? You knew that soul, like they knew you - like Eli knew Clare, Clare knew Eli, didn't she? She could look into his eyes and say - at the young age of sixteen - that she had fallen in love and damn everything else that wanted to keep them apart to Hell. And like Eli had broken through Clare's walls and memorized every inch of her, Clare had done the same to him. To have that was a kind of bliss Clare couldn't contain and she felt pity for others who didn't have that. And it's so strong you know it's not puppy love, or even an illusion, it empowers you, it takes you over. It's there now, a part of you. You've got it.

And there was nothing that could keep their connection apart.

Unless of course, there was.


	7. The Just Friends Paradox

**A/N: **Hello! Thank you for everyone who reviewed! I love you all. Thoughts? :)

* * *

**DARE ME, NOT**

**Chapter Six:**

"**The Just Friends Paradox"**

**oOo**

"Morning Clare".

"Hello mother" Clare said coldly as she walked into her kitchen, going to pour herself some coffee. Helen was surprisingly sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in her hand, minus one engagement ring. Her mother smiled back and Clare kept her face a stoic wall of cruelty. If her mother thought she was going to start jumping up and down with joy at the thought of a new 'father' then she was severely deluded. Clare poured herself some coffee and turned to butter a pancake; the kitchen an explosion of silence. All Clare wanted to do was get out of there, go to school and see Eli. Adam was supposed to have lunch with them today but he would probably flake again. The thought of the $550 hidden under Clare's mattress made her heart feel… guilty. She was going to go to Church this Sunday, to repent for her sins and donate half of the dare money to Charity. God wouldn't deny her penance after that, right?

"Why do you say the word 'mother' like it's an accusation?" Helen asked, smiling slightly. She had gotten home at 6.30AM, ignored her neighbour Irma, who was standing in her living room window watching and the sight made Helen feel like she was a child again, sneaking out at night and coming home before anyone woke up. She fixed her eyes on Clare and frowned. There was something different about her daughter, and it was more than her stony attitude this morning. When Clare didn't respond, she felt the kitchen suddenly thicken with tension. Helen didn't know whether to brace Clare now or just wait until after school. She was clearly annoyed about something. But it was more than that, as Clare turned around and grabbed some lunch money from the microwave, she could definitely see a change in Clare. Like a glow. She just seemed more… grown up. "There's something different about you" Helen concluded, studying Clare over her cup.

"Different?" Clare froze for a second and turned around to face her mother. There was no way Helen could possibly know, could she? Clare fixed her bag's shoulder strap and picked up her cup of coffee, her pancake in her other hand. Clare knew for sure that if her mother was going to play the 'out in the middle of the night' card then Clare was definitely going to play the 'can't believe you get engaged' card. Her mother didn't seem annoyed, or pissed off, but, that could have been an act. Not even a week after introducing your daughter to your boyfriend and already they're engaged. Clare shuddered at the thought of having to share a house with two guys - especially Jake Martin. He made her skin crawl. She hoped her dad would return her call, maybe she'd go stay with him for a while. Anything to escape the crashing scene that would be Helen and Glen. "I'm not different" Clare said fiercely. Then she added snidely, "You seem different. Got anything you want to get off your chest, mother?".

"Clare, am I supposed to know why you're mad at me?" Helen shook her head, sighing. "Is it because I spent the night at another man's house? Is it because I left you alone last night? Do you not like Glen?" when Clare didn't reply, she knew she wouldn't get an answer. When Clare wanted to push someone away, they could die of frostbite. After more uncomfortable silences, Helen leaned back in her chair and sighed again. "Well, you look pretty today, even though you probably don't want my compliments" she narrowed her eyes, "Did something happen last night, Clare?".

"No" Clare replied, voice brittle. "Did something happen last night with you?" she spat back. How dare her mother come in here, try to make out like Clare was the one with the problem. She was clearly lying to her daughter… Unless… Did Jake make it all up? If it was all made up, Helen would never mention it and Clare would have to suffer in silence at the knowledge she thought she knew. Then one day, Clare would snap and confront her mother and tell her where and how she found out. And Clare would end up in trouble. Jake Martin, that son of a bitch. Well either way, Clare had to find out.

"Actually" Helen started, unsure, "Yes. Something did happen at Glen's last night. Why don't you sit down, sweetie?" Clare didn't budge, so Helen continued. "Alright, stand. You know Glen and I have been serious for a while now and last night was special to us" she dug her fingers into her jeans pocket and pulled out an engagement ring. Clare took an involuntary step backwards at the sight of it. So Jake Martin wasn't lying. Fantastic. "Glen asked me to marry him, Clare" Helen said quietly. "And I said yes".

Clare licked her dry lips. Everything was happening too fast. Everything was moving and changing. Everything was falling and crashing. She was falling. She had already landed. God, all she wanted was Eli's scent in her face and his arms around her waist. What the hell was Clare supposed to say to that? 'Congratulations'? 'Well Done'? 'I can't wait'? None of these would sit right on her lips if she said them, and she knew it was selfish. She knew it was horrible and wrong to throw a spanner in her mother's happiness, but what about her own?

"Clare, we have to be open and honest about this" Helen stood up suddenly. "I know you're not ready for this, but I am. Clare, I love him. He's my everything, he completes me. He's the most wonderful person I've ever met in my entire life. He makes me feel like a teenager again. He's amazing, and you'd see that too if you got to know him" she glanced sadly at Clare and watched as she put down her cup of coffee and pancake. "Clare" Helen said more firmly this time, "Love changes you, okay? You will find that out someday, okay? And not the high school love you think you know, I'm talking about real love. The kind that gets under your skin and makes you happy you're alive. The kind that brightens your soul and makes you ache without it. The good kind of ache. The kind that takes over and doesn't live within the realm of reason and logic" she smiled sadly. "Clare I want you to have that one day, but you can't close yourself off, to me, to Glen, to your family - or to love".

"I'm happy for you, mom" Clare nodded slowly. "Really, I'm happy you've found that again. But you can't keep changing everything and expect me not to get whiplash. I've just literally gotten used to the idea of never seeing you and dad grow old together and you just…" she shook her head softly and sighed. "I need stability and I feel like I'm not getting it, not like the way I used to. Every time I get used to one situation, the carpet gets pulled out from under me and I just crash" she looked at her mother and shrugged, "But it'd be selfish of me not to accept it, so I do. I'm happy you're happy. But I don't know how you expect me to accept Glen that easily, I just found out you were dating him. I mean, is he and Jake going to move in here right away? How far away is this wedding? Is he going to try parent me as if he was my actual dad?".

"Of course not" Helen shook her head. "The wedding's not going to be till a couple of months but yes, Glen and Jake will be moving in here soon, or… Actually Glen was talking about us moving into his house, because it's bigger".

"But that's all the way across town" Clare cried, "How would I still go to Degrassi?".

"I don't know, but we can talk about this altogether, like a family" Helen sighed.

"Wow, that word feels like a lie" Clare muttered to herself. "How does Darcy feel about this? Have you even bothered to ask her? What if she comes back from Africa?".

"Darcy's an adult now, Clare" Helen snapped lightly, "This won't affect her, even if she does come back. I know you're upset but if you just calm down you would see I'm trying to give you the stability you claim you want".

"I don't know" Clare breathed weakly. "Maybe I should just go stay with dad".

"What?" Helen gasped, horrified, "You want to stay with someone who barely gives you the time of day now then stay me with, your own mother who would sacrifice her life for you?".

"Let's not go all biblical here, mom" Clare barked as she headed for the door. "We all know you don't really believe in those ideals, okay? And yes, maybe I will go stay with dad. I'm sixteen, it's not like you can stop me from seeing my other biological parent!".

"Clare, get back here right now" Helen cried back, "We're not done talking!".

"Yeah" Clare replied, opening the front door, "We are" she stormed out and Helen winced at the slam of the door behind her.

**oOo**

Eli walked into the guy's locker room and headed for where he knew his friends would be. He wouldn't usually be in the locker room, except when he had to, but he knew basketball practice would just be starting and he hoped to catch Drew and Dave before it did. The smell of sweat was disgusting but Eli ignored it and carried on until he reached the end. As he turned a corner, he saw K.C, Drew and Dave, all standing by their lockers and taking out their bags. He didn't know how the hell he was going to get rid of K.C, but he had to, because this conversation had to be between Dave and Drew only. He knew had to be quick, because he was supposed to be meeting Clare soon, and if the Coach walked in and found him here when he wasn't supposed to be, he'd probably get detention or a ridiculous lecture.

"Goldsworthy" Drew grinned when he saw his best friend, "What be happenin'?". Drew liked to pretend he was a black rapper whenever he could and often used words that were sometimes inappropriate and then at other times just plain undecipherable. Dave gave Eli the lame cool guy head nod, which he returned. K.C hadn't even bothered to look round from his locker yet but that didn't surprise Eli. Ever since Eli had found out that K.C had messed Clare around and K.C had seen Clare and Eli at the Dot together, they hadn't spoken or hung out together, but it didn't bother Eli; he couldn't care less about K.C or Jenna anymore.

"Stop talking like that" Eli said with a smile. He looked at Drew and then Dave and tried to give them a subtle hint before K.C turned his back and saw his face. "You guys got a sec?" when Drew and Dave nodded back, they all began walking away from K.C, attracting a curious look from him. Eli led them to the side of the locker room, far enough from K.C that he couldn't hear their whispers. Just for an extra safety measure, he reached over to the water fountain that the guys often drank from after practice and turned it on. "It's about the dare" Eli whispered, beckoning them into a little three man huddle.

"Did you…?" Drew gasped, eyes wide, implying something that had been a consistent theme in Eli's most recent dreams.

"Course not" Eli shook his head, almost a little annoyed suddenly. "I need to know you haven't told anybody".

"Dude we swore we wouldn't" Dave replied. "What's going on, Eli? What's with the sudden panicking?".

Eli shook his head back and forth and then asked quietly, "Do you think that Jenna could be the Dare Overlord?". His question was soon met with Drew and Dave laughing so hard they had to clutch their sides.

"Jenna?" Drew smirked, "Jenna the Dare Overlord? Fool, don't be serious. You know what Jenna's like, all of her slyness and sneakiness is done to your face, hiding behind a fake name and anonymity is not Jenna Middleton. At least when she stabs you, she stabs you in the front. Why do you even ask?".

"It doesn't matter" Eli shook his head, feeling slightly relieved. "Anyway, look never mind. Thanks guys. I'll see you later?" he turned and headed back the way he came. He had to go meet Clare now, pushing the Jenna theory out of his mind and focusing on the present. There was no way Jenna Middleton could be the Dare Overlord, but he knew he had to be careful; if she - or anyone - ever found out about the dare, it would ruin everything.

**oOo**

Clare was sitting outside Degrassi, typing away on her laptop when she felt the space next to her evaporate. She didn't even need to look up to know who it was. She smiled, Eli's scent of confidence and peppermint wafting dangerously into her personal space. She turned her head an inch, and her heart skipped a beat at his beaming grin. He may have seemed a little grimmer than he was, because of his choice in clothes, but Eli was always happy whenever he saw Clare. He raised his eyebrow up, stole one of her pretzels and took a bite out of it, teasing her slowly. Clare erupted in laughter and turned back to her laptop. "You are one weird dude, Elijah Goldsworthy" Clare chuckled.

"What are you doing?" Eli leaned in, his head casually resting on her shoulder and she couldn't help but want to throw the laptop away, toss him onto the table; straddling his hips and thrusting into him until he screamed her name. It was getting harder and harder not to think about those kind of thoughts. She'd spent most of the day, trying to rewrite her short story that Ms Dawes did not completely like. For once it wasn't Vampire fiction and while Ms Dawes had been excited to read something new, she hadn't been completely impressed. Clare just had to get out of her comfort zone. She had to brainstorm. Then a thought came to her. Eli wanted to be a writer to, maybe he could help.

"Rewriting my short story for Ms Dawes" Clare replied, taking a quick break. "It wasn't Vampire fiction anymore, but she still doesn't like it. However, she loves _your_ horror instalments of _Stalker Angel _and then tells _me_ to venture outside of Vampire stuff. I can't even get her to bat an eyelid at my harrowing story about two lovers who sacrifice everything to be together and then both die at the end. It's very moving" Clare felt the need to add. She'd even been crying writing the dying death bed scene and Ms Dawes had told her it 'lacked life'. Of course it fucking lacked life; they both died! She turned to see Eli's growing smirk and said, "Will you help me?".

"Like I need to" Eli made Clare blush. "Here, let me have a look at your story so far" he pulled her laptop closer to him and she surprisingly let him. He threw her a backwards glance and commented lightly, "You look different today, did you do something with your hair?".

"Nope" Clare frowned, shaking her head. "You sound like my mother, she kept telling me she thought I looked 'changed'. She was in the kitchen when I woke up this morning. She told me she's getting married, it's true. Jake and I will be stepsiblings and I'll have to put up with his stupid face every single day" she growled internally at the thought of having to share an actual bathroom with him. This thought did not sit right with Eli either; the thought of Jake being near Clare made his skin crawl. When Eli gave her a sympathetic look, she added, "I phoned my dad" it was almost like a whisper, "He didn't answer" she shrugged, like it meant nothing but Eli saw right through her. "I left a message" she swallowed, looking away because tears were starting to form, "He'll get back to me, when he can".

"Clare" Eli tipped her head up so she was facing him eye to eye. "I know there's nothing I can do to make any of this go away, but if you ever want to crash on my bed, you're more than welcome to" he saw the heat in Clare's neck and quickly added, "I'd obviously take the floor, I have this blow up bed, it's a miracle that it's even still working" he chuckled, "But just so you know, for you, Hotel Eli will always be open for business".

Clare had to laugh at that. "Hotel Eli?" she batted her eyelids and then suddenly, without warning, Eli wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. All of their other hugs were nothing compared to this. Clare buried her head in Eli's neck as he caressed her back. His other arm was wrapped all the way around her, pressing her into him like two broken parts put back together again by superglue. His hand ended up in her tangled hair and he felt his whole body tense up as Clare finally squeezed him back. Life was hard, and it wasn't going to get any better and sometimes when words failed to heal, all they needed was one painful hug, to squeeze all the hurt away.

"I don't think you realise how much you mean to me" Eli whispered into her neck and smiled at the goosebumps going down her spine. This moment was perfect. Every fucking moment with Eli was perfect. It was times like this when Clare thought she should just reach out, smash his face into hers and crush their lips together. And then Eli pulled back and went back to reading Clare's story like nothing had happened. Clare took a deep sigh, and fixed her hair subconsciously as she bit her lip.

"I've got work at the Dot after school" Eli reminded Clare suddenly, but I'm free the now if you want to work on this. Or I don't know, since it's Friday and everything… You could come over at half nine and we could work on it then".

Clare tensed up, frowning slightly. "What about my mom? I don't think she'd let me stay out that late".

"You could always crash at mine" Eli shrugged casually, too busy scrolling through Clare's story to take in her puffy lips, and flustered cheeks and nervous smile.

"I really don't think my mom would let me stay at a boy's house, even if he is just my friend" Clare said quietly.

Eli looked up and smiled at her through his dark eyes. "Okay well, I've got a free period next and then we've got lunch so we can work on it through that. What do you think?".

Clare couldn't believe how he was just casually fixing everything for her, changing things and then rearranging them whenever they didn't work and he honestly didn't mind. Then she suddenly said, "Actually, if I told my mom I was staying at Alli's, she wouldn't mind".

Eli seemed puzzled for a minute, "Wait, do you mean lie to your mom?".

"Why not?" Clare shrugged, "Everyone lies, right?" she didn't miss the flicker of unexplained emotion course through his eyes. "Besides, if she can go off and do whatever she likes now, then so can I. Will your dad mind someone staying in your room?".

"He works the night shift" Eli replied "He won't be in until after 6AM and then after that, he'll usually sleep in until afternoon. It's hilarious".

"Well great" Clare suddenly brightened, "We can work on this and you can show me some baby pictures of your emo ass self and we can make a movie night out of it… or something" she added lamely.

"You will not be seeing my baby photos" Eli said with an expression of graveness. "_Ever_".

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours" Clare teased, smirking at the fire ignited in Eli's eyes. They must have guessed by now that the connection they shared went beyond 'just friends'. Maybe he was slowly becoming _another_ best friend, but he was more than that to her, and she knew he felt it too. But how do you even begin to change that?

"Do I get to show mine at any point?" a sarcastic female voice interrupted them abruptly and Clare turned around to see Fiona Coyne. She remembered the news channel yesterday, reporting on the Coyne charity corruption. Adam was standing beside Fiona, looking expectedly at Clare. When Adam promised Clare that he would get to know Eli better, Clare had no idea he was going to expect her to get to know Fiona.

"Adam" Clare smiled, "You made it" she watched as Adam and Fiona took seats across from her and Eli. "Fiona, I'm Clare-".

"Edwards, I know" Fiona cut her off with a smile, "Junior, right? The one who got detention for dancing on Principal Simpson's table? People told me you were Indian".

"That would be my other friend, Alli" Clare smiled nervously. "We danced on it together".

"Girls gone wild, I like it" Fiona smirked back. Then she glanced over to Eli, "Elijah Goldsworthy, I'm surprised Jenna's not hot on your tail".

"She's got her own tail to be hot on" Eli replied, awkwardly turning his attention back to Clare's laptop. There was an awkward moment of silence, followed by some anxious looks and nervous smiles. It's not like Clare or Eli hated Fiona, but everyone knew about her family corruption by now and it was weird, trying to act as if that wasn't a big deal.

"Should I make a bulletin announcement or just Facerange it?" Fiona asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

Clare cleared her throat, "Uh, sorry?".

"My family" Fiona said slowly. "Yes, they screwed people over. Yes, they stole from charity and yes, I am literally broke, down to my last nickel. Can we all just push past it? Hate me for my stuck up personality, don't hate me because of something my parents did".

Adam threw Clare a dirty look and instantly Clare felt absolutely horrible. "I'm sorry" Clare sighed, "I just didn't wanna say something that might offend you, but I did the see news yesterday. I can't imagine what you're going through, so if you ever need to talk, then I'm here".

"Thank you" Fiona seemed surprised.

"Eli, are you the school website?" Adam asked suddenly.

"I am not" Eli replied, "But I can go on it. You want me to check a forum for you?".

"Na, it's fine" Adam shrugged, "What are you doing?".

"Going over Clare's story for Ms Dawes, apparently it's not up to scratch" Eli said, glancing over to Clare to see her taking a drink from his can of juice. He smirked, thinking of it as them practically making out - sharing saliva, same thing, right? - and turned back to Adam. "Ms Dawes is completely unfair on Clare, her story's amazing".

Clare smiled softly to herself at his comment.

"What's it about?" Fiona asked.

"Two star-crossed lovers" Clare replied, suddenly animated. She leaned forwards, eyes bright. "These two people; Diane and Tyler are lovers in each of their different lives. They finally find each other again but Diane can't remember all of their other lives together and Tyler struggles to get her to remember. In the end, they up end falling in love all over again but Tyler can't bear the thought of Diane never remembering their other lives so he realises the only way for her to remember is for him to die. So he tries to commit suicide but fails. His almost death makes Diane remember everything from their past lives but when Tyler wakes up, he suddenly can't remember anything about her because of the head injury. Diane kills herself and Tyler remarries another woman. Years go by and on his death bed, he suddenly remembers Diane and swears that he will look for her in his next life" she sat back, looking triumphant, "What do you think?".

"It's certainly doesn't lack detail" Fiona nodded back. "Very heartbreaking, love it".

"It sounds a bit Romeo and Juliet to be honest" Adam said. "Why don't you science fiction it up or something? Like, make it so that one of them can travel in time, and then when one of them dies, the other goes back in time to stop it, or something".

"Thank you Fiona - and Adam I'm going to ignore everything you just said" Clare shot Adam a playful smirk.

"Seriously, think about adding some science fiction into that" Adam added, "Because then you can't go wrong, it's science fiction! Your rules, then Ms Dawes can't mark you down for it" he shrugged, "So what are you doing tonight?".

"Hanging out with Eli" Clare shrugged and immediately regretted those words. She felt her cheeks blush at Adam's growing smirk.

"Where?" Adam asked.

"His house" Clare felt more uncomfortable by the passing second.

"Oh, it's like a sleepover?" Adam cleared his throat and Eli looked up, noticing the awkward tension. Adam added quickly, "That's a shame because I was going to ask you and Eli if you wanted to come hang out with me and Fiona tonight".

"What are you doing?" Eli asked.

"Fiona's all by herself the now so we were going to pick up some food and have a movie night" Adam shrugged, "But it's cool if you don't want to".

"We do" Clare said replied, wondering if Eli would mind her speaking for the both of them, "But my mom won't let me stay out that late, that's why I was crashing at Eli's. Besides Adam, it's Fiona house, what if she doesn't want us there?".

"I don't mind" Fiona replied honestly, "If curfew's an issue, there's a guestroom at my house, only one though so…" she gestured between Clare and Eli, "I mean, if you're already dating I guess it won't matter-".

"Uh, Clare and Eli aren't dating" Adam interrupted her.

Clare felt her cheeks go bright red with heat as Eli tensed up beside her.

"I can take the floor" Eli shrugged casually. "It's fine".

"Okay cool" Adam grinned, "Sleepover at Fiona's house tonight, who's excited?".

_Yep_, Clare thought bitterly._ One totally perfect night alone with Eli planned all down the drain for a foursome sleepover. Couldn't be more excited._


	8. The Sleepover Anomaly

**A/N:** Holla! Thank you for reviewing, seriously, it just makes my day :) Enjoy!

Review :D ?

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**DARE ME, NOT**

**Chapter Seven:**

"**The Sleepover Anomaly"**

**oOo**

Clare was sitting at a back booth in the Dot, her textbooks laid out in front of her as Eli continued to casually glance at her from his position behind the counter. He saw that Clare had picked up her phone and her head was bouncing animatedly as she spoke. She obviously liked the person she was talking with. He could feel the jealously sink under his bones. It probably wasn't a guy, but the thought of Clare flirting with someone else just made his soul itch. He had to grow a pair and tell her exactly how he felt about her, which, seemed to be on track - until Adam crashed their secluded night alone and invited them over to Fiona's. It's not like Eli didn't like Adam or Fiona, but hearing Clare say that she would spend the night, with just him, made him feel like he wasn't alone in this. Any of it. He wasn't expecting Clare to jump into bed with him with if she did return his feelings - he much preferred to wait until the month was up so that if they ever did have sex, then no one could say it was about the dare. It was just for them.

As Eli served another customer, he wondered how awkward it might be, sharing a guestroom with Clare, even if they weren't sharing the bed. He had no idea what Adam and Fiona's sleeping arrangements were but he would not stay and listen to them bone each other with Clare in the same room. The tension would be too much and he'd probably do something spontaneous, like grab Clare and pin her against the wall until she told him to stop. Okay, Eli wasn't a virgin anymore, but he and Julia had never done anything other than sex. And it was okay sex, if you liked the same position over and over again. But Eli realised what he and Julia had never had; raw sexual tension. Clare was a virgin and by all accounts, it didn't make sense for them ignite each other the way that they did, but they did and Eli wondered how he had ever gone without Clare's touch. He wondered how Clare would look, in his bed, wearing his Dead Hand t-shirt, one bare leg poking out of the sheets. It was a sight not to be missed, apparently. Eli lost hold of the sugar tumbler in his daydreaming and only came back to Earth when he realised he'd spilled sugar everywhere.

Clare glanced across the Dot, noticing that Eli was shovelling something on the floor. She tried to see behind the counter and when she couldn't, she turned back to her books and listened to Alli's continued rambling on her phone about that one time she bumped into Dave three days ago and they've been exchanging eye contact every five supposed minutes since. Alli was one of those friends who only called Clare up when she wanted to report back on her life. Whenever Clare wanted to talk, or even update Alli on anything, it was difficult, but then it always is when dealing with selfish people. Everything must be about them. After Clare updated Adam on her mother's newly engaged status, she couldn't help but feel a little annoyed that he had waded in on her and Eli's night alone, but Adam, being her very bestest friend needed someone to be the buffer with him and Fiona and Clare was nothing if not a team player. She wasn't sure why but she sensed disappointment in Eli as well - could he have been looking forward to their night alone as well?

The moment Clare even tried to talk about herself, updating Alli on her newfound friendship with Eli, or her mother's impending marriage or even her own dare that only she and Eli knew about, Alli made some pathetic excuse and ended the call. Clare sighed, checked her voicemail to see if her father had replied and tried to fight that growing itch of annoyance at the world when she found her voicemail empty. She rubbed her eyes boredly and let out a deep breath. She threw herself into her work again, focusing on the death scene with her character Tyler. She tried to think of loss, and tried to describe the hollowness it leaves, but when it came to typing something on her laptop, she found she couldn't. And it's not because she didn't know anything about pain or losing someone, it was because she knew far too well that sometimes time doesn't heal all wounds. She thought about texting Adam and asking when he was heading over to Fiona's. She had gotten a ride to the Dot with Eli to finish her homework while he worked.

Eli wouldn't get off until half nine and Clare still had to go home, take a shower, eat her dinner and try to convince her mother to let her have a 'girl's night' with Fiona Coyne; leaving out minor details; like Eli and Adam's male presence. As much as her mother loved Adam, she would never let Clare have a sleepover with him - and she certainly wouldn't allow her to stay with Eli. Telling her mother it was just going to be her and Fiona Coyne was the only way to play this option. Alli was sneaking into a club tonight that Dave, Drew, Bianca, Jenna and K.C were going to so if Helen called Alli's mother; both their covers would be blown, considering Alli told her mother she was staying at Clare's. A part of Clare was ready to get to know Fiona and another part of her found it a little odd; considering she didn't even know Adam and Fiona had become close enough to have lunch together and have sleepovers… But, maybe the four of them together wouldn't be so awkward. It was some junk food, a movie night and four people who went to the same high school. What could go wrong?

"Looking forward to tonight?" Eli had suddenly appeared beside her, wiping down the table next to her as an excuse for even being in that section. Clare would never get used to the sight of Eli wearing khaki's and a black t shirt with the Dot logo on it. He looked so different but did not dampen the appeal in the pit of her stomach. She could not go on torturing herself like this. She had to tell Eli she liked him and see how it went from there. He told her he wasn't in love with Julia - although her impending status was also in the back of Clare's mind. What if Julia woke up from her coma? Would that change anything between them if they did start dating? She was almost a hundred percent sure Eli felt the same, but she wasn't a mind reader and putting yourself out there to someone isn't just terrifying, it's paralysing. Clare knew if they went down that path, they would be consumed by each other and if it didn't last, they would both be shells of their former selves, left in the dust, covered in ash. Nothing more than a memory. Was it worth throwing away their friendship for?

"Is it wrong of me to say no?" Clare replied, smiling slightly. She couldn't find it in her to lie to Eli. Whatever was in her head came out her mouth these days and she wasn't sure why. "Listen, you don't have to come tonight, I know Adam invited you but I think he just wants someone as a buffer between him and Fiona, so if you want to make up an excuse, then that's fine, I'll cover for you and I'll understand" she shrugged and rolled her eyes playfully.

"What else am I going to do on a Friday night?" Eli smirked, that half crooked smile that made Clare's heart jolt. She knew it as well, he wasn't just hanging out with them because he had nothing better to do. He was hanging out with them so he could hang out with Clare. It made her feel all giddy and warm inside and that once untouched hollowness in the dustiest corners of her heart were beginning to brighten.

"Alli said Jenna and her posse were going to that new club opening tonight" Clare shrugged carelessly. "You could always ditch us for a cool place where people get far too drunk and far too loose" her smirk was adorable, because it was reflecting his.

"Dream on, Blue Eyes" Eli placed the cloth on his shoulder and sauntered back to the counter, where Clare admittedly stared after him longingly like a lost puppy dog. When she snapped herself out of her daydream, she turned back to her homework and fished around under it for her phone when she heard the ping. It was a Degrassi High forum alert. The Senior's Charity Auction was coming up soon and tickets were getting put on sale. Every Senior year, they were required to organise a Charity Auction where the Senior boys and girls were 'bid' on for the night - not in _that _way. The bidder got a full night with their 'prize' and they got to do whenever they wanted, with their clothes on of course. It was a cheap, degrading and frankly ridiculous way to raise money for charity. The only thing that Clare knew for sure was that if Eli was getting auctioned off, then she was bidding for him, to win. She already sounded like a corny horn dog and she didn't even care. She had gone back to her homework and was deep into the character of her female lead Diane when the seat beside her was filled. It wasn't Eli.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Clare asked; not even taking her gaze off her computer screen or stopping her furiously fast fingers against her laptop keyboard. Usually, she didn't mind distractions when she had writer's block, but the distraction wasn't Eli, so she had to persevere until the forced writing came as easily as a string of music chords. Most people thought writer's block came from within the writer but Clare always suspected writer's block came from outside forces. One single event, one word, one emotion, could change everything; a person's inspiration, focus, drive, motivation, investment. So, if it was outside forces that stopped her, then inside forces would drive her to continue her story. She always thought if she would ever write a book, she would go into hiding for seven months and never leave, so nothing could affect her direction.

The following chuckle told her everything she needed to know. Her fingers hesitated but continued, despite the person sitting next to her had suddenly started speaking. "Clare. I've seen you around. Usually you're just with that skinny dude, but lately… I've been seeing you around with Eli. Here's a little known piece of advice; Eli's a dickhead. He talks out of his ass and drives a hearse. You're a Christian girl, I respect that, my parents are Christians too. They're straight edged, but me? I must have fallen off that wagon some time ago".

"Cut the cryptic crap and tell me what you want, Fitz" Clare turned her head round to see Mark Fitzgerald sitting next to her. He had leant back into his chair, one hand casually resting on his crotch while the other rubbed the back of his head. Mark Fitzgerald was a Junior, like Clare, but he didn't play by anybody's rules, certainly not Principal Simpson's. He was one of those dangerous people who lived by his own standards, and liked disorder in a world of certain and hidden chaos. Clare thought that people like him were the key to the self destruction of the controlled disillusioned society they lived in. Clare had never liked him, but she was Christian after all, so she tried to remain open-minded to everyone.

"Eli and I don't like each other" Fitz cut right to the chase. "He's only going out with you to annoy me".

"Excuse me?" Clare snapped her head round.

"He knows I like you, have done for months" Fitz leaned in towards her. "End of last year, he found out and now he's using it against me".

Clare, without even realising what she was doing, laughed - in his face. "Wow, you are delusional, Mark Fitzgerald. First of all, Eli and I aren't going out, he's a good friend. And second of all, I highly doubt Eli would make friends with me to piss you off. I am actually good company" she turned back to her laptop. Then she added prissily, "Please go away".

"She won't ask you again".

Clare jumped at the brittleness in Eli's voice as he entered their conversation. She glanced up from her laptop to see Eli, glaring at Fitz and vice versa. She didn't even know those two didn't get on until today; something obviously happened a while ago they couldn't bury. Clare had never seen Eli look so… possessive before. Was he jealous? There was fire in his eyes, but it wasn't passion like usual, it was something else. It was hate. "Get out, before I throw you out" Eli hissed.

Fitz held his hands up in a 'I surrender' kind of way, though it was not sincere. He stood up, smirking. "This isn't over, Goldsworthy" he turned and sauntered out of the Dot. Eli stayed where he was, just glaring at Fitz through the window and waiting until he had disappeared from his sight. Clare, just sat there, not even knowing how to react to that. She had never seen Eli like that before. His face had gone white and his knuckles looked ready to crack.

"Eli, what was that all about?" Clare stood up, going to stand in front of him. When she tried to get through his apparent barriers and failed, she reached out and touched his arm, bringing him back to earth.

"What did he say to you, Clare?" Eli asked abruptly.

Clare swallowed, feeling her cheeks colour. "He said you were only going out with me because you knew he liked me first. Pathetic, I know. I already told him we weren't going out. And he started saying all this stuff. Why do you and him not get on?".

"Started last year, when he vandalised my car" Eli almost growled. Then he refocused his eyes back on Clare, "And yes, I did know he liked you, but that's not why I befriended you, Clare. Tell me you believe me".

"I believe you" Clare nodded back, and she really did. "How did that little piece of information come up anyway?".

"It was late last year" Eli began quietly, moving in closer to Clare than necessary, "He was saying some things about you" he reached up to tuck her curls behind her ear and she subconsciously inched towards him. "Graphic stuff, need to know only. So as retribution, I gave him a fake ID as a fake white flag and made him one of Canada's Most Wanted. He got pulled over by the police, it was quite entertaining. Then we got into a fight".

"You did that for me?" Clare blushed, "We didn't even know each other back then".

"I noticed you" Eli smiled nervously and Clare felt her heart skip a beat.

"But retribution in the form of violence is not healthy for the soul, Eli" Clare whispered. "Promise me you won't fight him anymore. Or react to him" she searched his eyes, "Eli, I mean it. Promise me?".

Eli smiled, and sighed warmly. "I think we all know where I'm going when I die, cleansed soul or not" Clare gave him a look and he added, "Fine. I promise" then he hesitated. "Just out of curiosity" he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "You and Fitz… You wouldn't ever…?".

"Fitz is not my type, Eli" Clare laughed. _You're my type_, she thought secretly. "I like them tormented and as emotionally damaged as I am".

"Well then" Eli backed up, looking quite pleased. "You're in good company" and as he walked away, Clare wondered if he would ever know the power he had over her. With just one look, he could take her breath away. With just his smirk, he could endanger her heart and with just one sarcastic comment, he could send Clare into a world that had previously been closed off to her. Yes, it was true that falling in love is much like spinning without senses, and to lose yourself - maybe it's worth it.

But, as Clare had yet to find out, Eli's ways could do more than make her spin. He could also, make her fall.

**oOo**

Fiona Coyne's house used to be elegant and filled with expensive things, but ever since her parents had committed a crime, her once amazingly stocked apartment was filled with… almost nothing. She had two beds, a tv, a DVD player, a fridge, one couch and a washing machine and $50 to her name. While the place had been ransacked for every last bit of money the Coyne's had left, Fiona was lucky enough to have a loving Godmother called Marilyn who didn't mind sending Fiona money every week until she found a job. Fiona had already started the search for a job and had even began looking into other places to live. Her mother wanted her to leave Toronto and join her in New York but Fiona already had her heart set on going to TU and she wasn't going to let her parents past mistakes get in the way of her life. If any word should be used to describe Fiona, it should be survivor. The doorbell rang just after nine and when she opened it, she saw Adam and Clare on her doorstep with Adam carrying two boxes of pizza and Clare carrying a bag of ice cream and DVD's.

"No Dr Doom?" Fiona smirked, glancing at Clare. Fiona stepped aside and let them walk through the doorway. As she led them in, she gestured at Adam to put the pizza on the kitchen counter and took the ice cream from Clare to shove into the freezer. Fiona had been social, when she had Declan with her, but ever since he left for Yale, she had slowly resigned herself from the conventions of social life, because frankly, she hated most people and they hated her. Sometimes they were jealous and other times, they just didn't think she was a nice person to be around. But Fiona had found that she had a knack for seeing people's true colours; their insecurities, most deepest fears and desires and their need for acceptance.

"Eli doesn't get off work until half nine, he'll come later" Clare said casually as she shrugged off her jacket and laid it on the countertop. "It's a nice place you've got here" she added.

"It was" Fiona shrugged, carefree. "Until my parents fucked everything up and let it all go to pot. Juice?" she walked across her minimal kitchen and opened the door to the fridge, "Let's see, I've got two day old milk and a carton of orange juice; no pulp".

"Orange juice" Clare and Adam said in unison.

"Cute" Fiona smirked, taking the orange juice from the fridge. "Clare, how long have you wanted to bone Eli?" the simple way she asked the question - like it was even a normal question to ask - made Clare's eyes bulge out of her head. Adam laughed slightly and Fiona seemed confused. "Sorry? Was I too forward? I don't know even how these girl talks work. The movies never show it realistically" she added as she poured the juice. "Seriously though, you and Eli make the weirdest and most adorable couple I've ever seen. You too should totally get it together".

Clare felt the heat rise in her cheeks as she managed a nervous smile. "Yeah, I'll definitely take it into consideration" she tried to sound sarcastic but it didn't come across at all and Fiona looked pleased. She shot Adam an annoyed look, which he returned with a simple shrug.

An hour later, as they had settled down on Fiona's one couch and was in the middle of watching _Dumb and Dumber_, the doorbell went. Fiona shot up and went to answer it and Clare fiddled nervously with her hair. She shot Adam a look and hissed at him, "I'm going to kill you".

"Why?" Adam asked back obliviously.

"For this entire night" Clare whispered back. The second she finished, she glanced up and saw Fiona return with Eli. He had obviously gone home, showered and changed, not that he needed to. He always looked amazing. "Eli" Clare couldn't help but brighten at his face. "We're watching _Dumb and Dumber_".

"A nice mindless movie" Eli shrugged as he dumped his bag and jacket on the floor. He turned to Fiona and began, "Nice-".

"If you finish that sentence, I will kill you" Fiona interrupted him mockingly. "I know this place looks ridiculous. Blame my stupid parents" she finished with a simple shrug and then slowly grinned. "Alrighty! Now that everyone's here, I guess we can begin. I've got condoms; extra large and extra small - just in case, a bottle of lube, whipped cream, melted chocolate, oh some handcuffs - in case anyone's into that kind of thing and a whip - but that's mine" she tossed her head with a grin, "Anyway, I was thinking me and Clare could get started first, in case you two boys need something to motive you, although I don't see _that_ being a problem".

Clare felt her entire stomach plunge into her gut. What. **The**. _Fuck_. Eli had the same expression on his face, while Adam just looked casually amused.

"Something wrong?" Fiona frowned, glancing between Clare and Eli's expression. "Oh, is it the camcorder? Does videoing it bug you? Because don't worry, it's not in HD and no one will see this, well, obviously we each get our own copy but as long as you keep it secret, no one will know. Hey, I bet we can even start up a little club, get more people in on it".

"Uh" Clare rubbed the back of her head anxiously; looking between Adam and Fiona. She glanced to Eli, who had frozen to the spot where he stood. Clare said slowly "Somehow movie night got turned into orgy night without any of us knowing".

"Adam, you didn't tell them?" Fiona titled her head and glanced down at Adam.

"Okay, I'm confused" Eli suddenly blurted out.

Then, suddenly, without reason or logic, Adam and Fiona burst into a fit of giggles as Clare and Eli watched on, confounded.

"Oh god, that was too good!" Fiona cried, reaching out to give Adam a high-five. "You should have seen your faces!" she pointed between Eli and Clare as she and Adam continued to laugh.

"That was a joke?" Clare asked, voice completely serious. Adam and Fiona nodded through their laughing.

"Thank god" Eli slumped into the beanie bag that was lying next to the couch, "For a minute, I thought I'd have to climb out of your bathroom window".

"Oh Saint Clare and Dr Doom" Fiona commented lightly, shaking her head from the laughing. "I wish I could have taped that!" she turned to leave but double backed, "Your expressions, not the actual sex tape" she walked out of the living room as Clare tried to keep the grimace from forming.

"Sorry, Clare" Adam said, still laughing, "Fiona thought it would a funny joke". Clare's bad mood only got worse when Eli suddenly started laughing with Adam.

"Seriously?" Clare snapped, glancing between Eli and Adam.

"Clare, it was a little funny" Eli said lightly. Then he noticed her tensed posture and asked seriously, "Is everything okay?".

"Everything's fine" Clare said frostily. She stood up, passed Adam and Eli and stormed down the hallway until she reached the bathroom. She closed the door behind her and stared into the bathroom mirror. She knew it was stupid to react like that, after all, it had just been a joke. But Clare knew why she was really upset. She liked Eli, he was the first one she would even consider having sex with but apparently, the thought of them having sex was fucking hilarious to everyone else, Eli included. She would always be seen as Saint Clare, a fucking pariah to social normalcy and sex, maybe even true love.

"Clare?" a soft knock on the door followed by Eli's voice jolted her from own her self torturing. She turned swiftly and wiped her palms down the side of her jeans anxiously. She could not handle being close to Eli right now but still, her need to be near him was overpoweringly strong. God, how he had diseased her, poisoned her thinking and made her ill with jealously and desire. She heard him lean against the other side of the door and then slowly she moved towards her side of the door to lean against it lightly. "Clare?" his voice again made it impossible for her to think clearly. "Clare, please open up, I need to speak to you" a slight pause, "Are you mad at me?".

"No" came Clare's quiet reply.

"You are" he whispered, but she could hear. "I'm coming in, okay?" Clare backed up and held her breath as the door opened and Eli slipped through it, closing it behind him. His eyes pierced the window to her soul and his hungry gaze made her stomach jolt with nerves.

"It's stupid" Clare looked away, shaking her head. "I'm stupid".

"You are not stupid, Clare" Eli replied. "Tell me what's wrong".

"Is the thought of us having sex really so funny?" the words were out of her mouth before she could even stop herself. "Because I just thought…" she trailed off, suddenly feeling like the apple on top of someone's head before it's shot at by an arrow.

"I think I should leave" Eli hissed out, fighting a war with himself.

"Why?" Clare's pained eyes gazed into his as she took a step forward and he took one back so he was up against the bathroom door.

"Because I'm hurting you" Eli whispered back. God, if she really knew the truth…

"You're hurting yourself more" Clare had never felt so brave. "I'm only going to say this once, Eli. I want you. Like I _really _want you, in a kind of way that wakes me up at night and keeps me awake until dawn. You can't tell me we don't have this connection. What's the problem?".

_The dare, _his evil little voice crackled back at him. He turned his back on Clare, leaning against the door. He couldn't believe his dreams were finally coming true and all he could do was turn his back on her, because of the stupid dare and the guilt he carried with it.

Clare felt tears slip out of her eyes as her worst nightmare came to life in front of her: everything she had misread was wrong. Eli didn't want her. He didn't have feelings for her. He didn't love her.

And then, through her crying, she heard his quiet insecure voice. "I will need you more than you need me". Clare held her breath, frowning. He turned around and it pained him to see Clare crying. He came towards her and Clare let him. She let him pull her body into his and wrap his arms around her waist. She let him turn her around and press her back into the bathroom door. She could feel his unforgiving erection press full flush against her stomach and she let out a quick breath of air at Eli's darkened eyes. The ache returned to her core, throbbing in between her thighs at the thought of where Eli's groin could go next. Their breaths mingled as Eli slowly intertwined his fingers with Clare and pinned their hands against the door. Clare coursed with excitement and her head rolled back slightly in the heated moment.

"Clare" Eli battled with himself. He still had so many things to consider, the dare being the main one. The fact that he had no emotional stability being another.

"Eli" Clare couldn't help but breathe and Eli's hips twitched involuntarily at the sound of her husky moan. He had already lost, from the very first minute he had ever spoken to Clare, he had already lost. And in a way, so had she. He placed their foreheads together and he looked deep into her eyes to try to convey how much he felt for her. And then their lips finally collided and the second he plunged his tongue inside, he had already claimed Clare's soul; her innocence, her heart and in doing so, signing her death warrant.


	9. The Soulmate Congruence

**A/N: **Greetings! I have no idea how Canadian law works. I really don't. I'm just borrowing someone else's law and making it fit in my story. Don't hate me. Warnings: Slight sexual content in this one, nothing major! Peace and love you sexy people.

* * *

**DARE ME, NOT**

**Chapter Eight:**

"**The Soulmate Congruence"**

**oOo**

Clare felt her body weaken slightly as Eli's tongue delved into her open mouth, kissing her soul. One hand slipped from her fingers to her back to hold her against him steadily. Her cheeks had already began to burn with desire and her body felt alive at his touch, their hips pulsating together. Clare felt their connection surge between them; something she wouldn't ever take for granted. She had _never _been kissed like this; Eli was taking over and Clare was letting him. His tongue danced with hers at first, being gentle and then he was beginning to suffocate her with his lips but this only made her want more. His kiss was so needy, so desperate, so lustful, it made Clare have to arch her back and in doing so, shoving her crotch against Eli's. He made a noise in the back of his throat - something that wanted to escape but Clare kept his mouth on hers with a hand around his neck and she ended up swallowing his vibrated moan. He was intoxicating. His knee slipped in between her legs, pressing against the aching want and Clare grimaced in pleasure, her head banging against the bathroom door in reaction. Eli's lips never left hers and it was hard to tell where Clare began and he ended.

When they finally had to pull away for a mortal breath, they panted against each other, Eli's head burying in Clare's neck as her chest heaved with the kind of desire she could only read about in books. As he began to kiss her neck with his mouth open, Clare revelled in the feel of his tongue, wishing she had the courage to place it elsewhere. His hands travelled to her hips, and he pushed both their groins together, making Clare groan his name. She felt a tightening of knots in her lower abdomen, something that begged for Eli's touch. Every time Eli touched Clare, he felt like a kind of poison that seeps into your skin, makes you high enough to think you're having a good time and then brings you down suddenly, killing you instantly. But he didn't care. It felt so good to have every inch of Clare pressed against him; the way her head had rolled back and she was panting his name. They way his skin cells reacted with joy every time her nails dug into his back. They way he wanted to possess every fibre in her being, until they were one. He was past the line now. He had crossed it the moment he walked up to her in the library, setting into motion a chain of events that would change them both forever.

The second Clare's fingers slipped under Eli's t-shirt and felt his soft, smooth skin, he grabbed her legs and moved them up around his hips, bringing her back against the door to steady her. Clare glanced down at him, her eyelashes lazy and lustful and the sight of her puffy lips and glazed over eyes was enough to kill him inside. She _killed _him. She must know what she did to him, she literally broke him. Every time she smiled at him, or touched his skin or even just cast her eyesight his way, he felt like she was the one who could save him from himself. It was selfish in a way, to taint her light with the darkness he carried but he couldn't stop himself from wanting her as much as he did. He needed Clare like he needed air to breathe. They exchanged a long meaningful stare and Clare leant in to bring their foreheads together. This was it. This was what love was supposed to feel like. Love _was_ insanity, until the insanity claimed their souls and consumed their every waking moment.

"Be mine" Eli whispered huskily, his lips brushing against Clare's. His heart was beating so fast he was sure Clare could feel it against her own. He watched as she opened her mouth to answer but before she could, he moved an inch and claimed her lips again. His full thick lips moved slowly and surely with hers, plunging his tongue in for a second, before pulling away again. Clare groaned at the loss of contact. It was torture. "Say it, Clare. Say you're mine".

"I'm yours" Clare gasped as Eli leaned in, and bit her neck, sucking her soft skin. "Eli" she couldn't even string a normal sentence together. Nothing apart from her and Eli being together made sense anymore. She was drunk with lust. "Eli, I'm always yours. I've always been-" she gasped "Yours". As she finally let her heart open fully, she wondered why she hadn't done this sooner. This euphoric feeling was like heroin, Clare liked to imagine. It was so addictive. Eli was so addictive. As Eli pressed their foreheads together again, Clare slid her legs down him back to the floor and wrapped her arms around his neck. She leaned in, placed a soft torturing kiss on his neck and felt his body stiffen. They stood there, for a second, just enjoying each other's warmth and appreciating the beauty of the moment. Then suddenly, Clare asked quite timidly, "Are you mine?".

Eli - full of Clare's untainted love in a sea of his darkest thoughts - looked her dead in the eye and whispered. "I will never stop being yours". Truer words had not yet been spoken by Eli, and it was ironic, because he knew his life was a web of tangled longings, secrets, and lies. Clare was the only thing he had gotten right in his life - yet even that was tainted, by Eli and the way in which he had set their hearts in motion. And then Clare beamed at him, and everything he agonised over was gone. She was his. He was hers. Nobody, not some stupid Dare Overlord, not some silly dare, not anything, could ever tear them apart. She leaned in and kissed him again - a light kiss, full of adoration and joy, beaming out of her and soaking into him. Her giggle was like a high to him, the happiest thing he would ever hear. "So" Clare cleared her throat, "Does this mean that my boyfriend is still going to enter into the Senior's Charity Auction?".

Eli pretended to think about that for a moment. "Depends, really. Only if my girlfriend promises to bid on me".

"I'll do more than bid on you" Clare whispered into his throat.

Eli chuckled, "Promise?". The moment his lips touched Clare's again, a loud banging noise on the other side of the door jolted their lips apart but not their bodies.

"I know you're probably boning in there" Adam's voice came from the other side. "But I really have to pee".

Clare couldn't help the giggle that escaped her mouth and Eli found himself laughing as well. Her happiness was so fucking infectious. Never mind poisoning her, she was curing him. "We'll be right out, Adam" Clare said, never taking her eyes off of Eli's. She leaned in, kissed him forcefully without movement or tongue and then pulled back, "Tell me something" she kissed him again.

"What?" Eli asked through the kiss, noticing the crease in her eyebrows.

"Why me?" Clare whispered, kissing him again and then pulling away. "Why did you come up to me in the library that day? Why did you-" he kissed her, cutting her sentence off and she felt his erection on her thigh this time. His tongue was forceful and demanding all of her and the kiss became more than lust and want. He kissed her like his life depended on it, trying to shut her questions down, because if he lied to her one more time, he would completely break. Her breathing hitched as Eli's hand wandered down her body, soaking in her curves and coming to a stop at her thighs. He kept his mouth on hers the entire time as his hand slid in between her legs and gripped the inside of her thigh. Clare whimpered, wondering if he would go where nobody had gone before. She certainly wasn't going to stop him.

Eli's mouth travelled to her ear, "Clare Edwards" his fingers roamed upwards, to the edge of her thigh, stopping just above her crotch. Clare's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she parted her lips to gasp. Eli enjoyed the sight of Clare in pleasure and whispered "I think I l-".

"Guys, seriously!" Adam's voice interrupted him and Clare growled in disappointment.

"Okay!" Clare called back, clearing her throat. She disentangled herself from Eli and smirked at the look in his eyes. He wanted to murder Adam, she could tell, mostly because she felt the same way.

"I say we get in my hearse and go back to my house" Eli wrapped his arms around Clare's waist and turned her so her back was snug against his front.

"Not a sentence you hear everyday" Clare murmured back as Eli placed a kiss on her neck. "But we can't. We're supposed to be helping Adam get along with Fiona, not hiding out in her bathroom, besides…" she froze suddenly, biting her lip.

"Go on" Eli was curious.

"Eli, I wear a ring that says I won't have sex before marriage, I took a pledge, I made a promise" Clare shook her head slightly. "It's not you, really. It's me".

"Oh blue eyes" Eli chuckled against the nape of her smooth neck, "Do you honestly think all we can do together is sex?".

Clare blushed at the thought but pulled herself from him and turned around to give him a smile. "Maybe you'll show me, soon" she licked her lips and went to open the bathroom door. Adam wasn't there; he must have walked back into the living room. "By the way" Clare said as they both left the bathroom, "Just out of curiosity, how long does one wait until they have sex with a girlfriend or boyfriend?".

"It's all about the people, Clare" Eli gave her a reassuring smile, "There's no standard time limit".

"Okay, then tell me about you" Clare shrugged lightly. "If I was ready and you were unsure, how long would you wait? A week? Three weeks? A month?".

"It's all about feeling ready" Eli was suddenly uneasy, "There's no right or wrong answer. It's just there between two people, they trust each other, they know each other inside out. They feel safe together. Trust me, you'll know when you're ready".

Clare stopped him from walking any further, "What if I already knew what I wanted?" she whispered, "But I wasn't sure. Do you think I'd know soon? Like within a month?".

_Your dare is to sleep with Clare Edwards. _Eli shivered at the thought of ever opening that bloody blue envelope. _You have a month._

"Eli?" Clare looked into his glazed over eyes.

"Mm?" Eli snapped out of his thoughts and turned to Clare. "Sorry, I'm listening" he paused to think for a moment and then said decidedly, "I'd wait longer than a month".

Clare looked a little offended and taken aback. "A month?" she asked. "You'd _want_ to wait longer than a month?" was she wearing a chastity belt or something?

"Yep" Eli nodded firmly. "Shall we?" he headed for the corner, leaving Clare standing behind him. It's not like he could look into her eyes and tell her the truth. About the dare. About everything. It's not like he could say he'd have her right now if he could. It's not like he could tell her he only wanted to wait a month because if they didn't then their entire relationship would be based on a high school dare. That was the first time Clare doubted herself, and Eli.

But then she rounded the corner after him, and smiled when Eli dragged her into the beanie bag with him. Adam and Fiona - who were watching another movie by now - exchanged looks between each other but didn't say anything. Clare snuggled into Eli, letting her hand slip under his t-shirt to place it on his chest. The sound of his quick beating heart was the only thing that destroyed her doubts and reaffirmed her bliss. She and Eli were finally together. Nothing could break them apart.

Especially, not doubt.

**oOo**

"Fiona tried to feel me up" Adam blurted out to Clare as they walked into the kitchen to get the ice cream. Clare smirked in approval as Adam went over to close the kitchen door. "Wipe the smirk, please" he added. "It was horrible, Clare. She felt my stupid breasts!".

"Oh my god, Adam" Clare rushed towards her best friend. "What do we do-".

"We do nothing" Adam interrupted, "I told her everything, I had to. I certainly had enough time, considering you and Eli were gone for nearly an hour! Seriously, what the hell did you do in that bathroom?".

"Nothing, it was a strictly PG-13 rating" Clare felt a blush in her cheeks. "Okay, it wasn't completely PG, but it was definitely not an R rated movie, if you get my drift. Oh by the way, Eli's my boyfriend now" she liked the way it rolled off her tongue. "Eli Goldsworthy is mine" she glanced back to Adam, "Oh my god, I'm sorry. Right you told Fiona everything and…?".

"Congrats to you and Eli, I'll be sure to make it to your wedding" Adam said sarcastically as he got out the bowls for the ice cream. "Well, to be honest, Clare. It was weird. It was like Fiona was okay with it, you know? It was like… she was relieved, in some way? Why would she even want me to have breasts?".

"Sounds to me like you're the one with the problem" Clare said softly. "You opened yourself up and expected the worst, but instead, Fiona accepted you, and is happy to wait - apparently, until you can have your sex change. I think you're reading way too much into this. Be happy, Adam".

Adam let out a sigh. "You really do? You think this is just me, freaking out because a girl I liked actually liked me back? Liked me for _me_?".

"Absolutely" Clare nodded. "This is just self sabotage and it's normal, because you've never been accepted like that before. Adam, this is great! Fiona still likes you, I saw the way she kept looking at you on the couch. She's still totally into you, if not more! This doesn't change a thing" she shrugged her shoulders happily, "Oh my god, look at us. Young and in love" she froze suddenly, in the middle of scooping out the ice cream.

"Did you just say-" Adam began.

"_Love_" Clare whispered. "Yeah I said that. I said 'in love'".

"Are you-" Adam started.

"Oh my god, am I?" Clare shot him a look. "Oh my god, I think I am. I think I love Eli Goldsworthy" she frowned, "Should I tell him?".

"Way too soon, Edwards" Adam shook his head, "You guys haven't even had a first date yet".

"Technically we did, but it was a tacky first date" Clare shrugged to herself, "Full of strippers and the smell of tobacco, well actually, the _Taco Bell _thing might have been our first date, or maybe it was detention, I don't know".

"What _are _you talking about?" Adam frowned.

"Don't listen to me" Clare shook her head, "I'm rambling because I'm in love. This feeling is amazing, I want to scream it from the rooftop and get a tattoo of his face".

"Too far" Adam scolded her.

"I know" Clare picked up two bowls of ice cream, "But I don't care! I'm Clare Edwards and for once, I don't care!".

**oOo**

_**Eli Goldsworthy is in a relationship with Clare Edwards.**_

Clare stared at Eli's Facerange status update on her phone. She confirmed the relationship in her notifications, linking him to her profile as well. She put her phone away and walked back over to Eli, seeing him on Facerange on his phone. She sat down next to him and gave him a surprised kiss on the lips. "I like how I use the bathroom for three minutes and you've already made us official, not that I'm complaining. Have you told your friends?" Clare asked as he wrapped his arm around her. The thought of seeing Jenna's reaction was not something she looked forward to.

"No need to" Eli shrugged carelessly, "A status tells them everything they need to know, especially the fact that our relationship, is ours. Not theirs. I don't care what they have to say about it and you shouldn't either" he leaned backwards and Clare fit into his side, leaning her head against his chest. Fiona and Adam were raiding Fiona's barely stocked kitchen for other food and Clare could vaguely hear them giggling at something. "Fiona and Adam seem to be getting along" Clare whispered against his side. "This is definitely nice, the four of us hanging out together. Although I'd much rather be alone".

"I would too" Eli knotted a hand in her hair. "It's funny how we just fit together. Like two broken pieces".

"Eli" Clare glanced up, wanting to say what had been bothering her all night. "I just need to ask this, okay, I know you've already told me before, but… I just need to ask. If Julia were to wake up from her coma-".

"No" Eli cut her off. "Not a chance in hell. I'd feel better, conscience wise, but that's all I'd feel, Clare. I don't love her, I was never really in love with her. She was my best friend, we had a childhood crush, it fizzled out. What we have, is real. I can feel it in my bones. This was meant to happen, and whatever happens next, for me, it was worth it".

"Why do you say that like this will end?" Clare asked suddenly, her gut plummeting.

"That's not what I meant, Clare" Eli replied, ashamed he had gotten so good at covering his tracks. That's _exactly _what he meant. He knew if Clare ever found out about the dare, she'd never look at him in the same way again, much less be in a relationship with him. "I just meant, anything can happen, you know? I could be knocked down and killed tomorrow, you never know. And I just want you to know I don't regret any of it".

"Me either" Clare whispered back, trying to tell herself that nothing was wrong. Her Eli senses were tingling but she ignored them. It was a sad fact to note that not before the month was up, Clare would never ignore her instincts again.

That night, as Clare and Eli shared the guest bed, she had never felt more complete. He kissed her softly and slowly but she could tell he was ready to fall asleep, so she wrapped her arm around his shoulder and pulled him into her, gently running her fingers through his hair. Goosebumps appeared everywhere on his skin and with her other hand, she traced over them lightly. It didn't take him as long as he thought it would before he completely relaxed into Clare's touch. She was bliss and pure and every time she touched him he felt _alive_. Every time she said his name, he could fool himself into thinking that he was normal.

Eventually, with so many thoughts buzzing through Clare's head, she drifted off; Eli buried into her side with her arms around him. If this was what her mother had, then she could no longer fault Helen for falling in love with Glen. Clare finally understood what her mother meant. But Clare also knew that she was barely able to live in a house with her mother, let alone a stepfather and a stepbrother. She knew she had to leave before her mother got married. She knew she had to distance herself from her mother before she ended up blaming her for everything and wrecking their already fragile relationship. She would have to go to her father and ask to live with him. She would explain the situation, and he would have to agree - because what flaky cheating son of a bitch father doesn't allow their daughter to live with them?

Her last thought going to sleep and her first thought waking up, was Eli.

**oOo**

"Mom, I'm home" Clare said as she walked through her front door. "Mom, are you here? I'm back from Fiona's. I'm just going to take a shower and then I'm heading to the Dot to meet Fiona and Adam" _and drool over my boyfriend as he works_, Clare thought slyly. Her mother never worked on Saturday's so she should have been home. "Mom, are you-" Clare stopped suddenly when she walked into the kitchen and saw the sight of Glen and Jake Martin sitting at her kitchen table. Her mouth opened slightly in surprise and as the back door opened, her mother reappeared, carrying a bunch of empty boxes in her hands. Helen looked up, surprised to see Clare back so soon. Glen shifted awkwardly and Jake looked smug.

"What's going on?" Clare asked anxiously.

"Honey, I told you Glen and Jake would be moving in soon" Helen placed the boxes on the floor, "We're just discussing the best way for this to happen. Glen's house is bigger but it's more distanced from Degrassi, and there's Jake's high school to think about. It's not that far but he'd have to get the bus everyday living here".

"Or I could just go to Degrassi with Clare" Jake said suddenly, smirking.

"No" Clare shook her head, "No. I don't think so-".

"Clare" Helen gave her a stern look, "Be nice. Now, you can help us clear out my home office, we think Jake should move in there".

"But that's Darcy's old room" Clare narrowed her eyes.

"Well, there's still the possibility of moving somewhere else between Degrassi and Jake's school" Glen shrugged slightly.

"This is moving a little fast, don't you think?" Clare swallowed, glancing up to her mother.

"No, I don't think it is" Helen folded her arms. "Clare, just because I let you stay at Fiona's last night, doesn't mean we're done having this discussion. You stormed away because you needed space and I gave you it. Now you need to be here, with your family".

Clare couldn't even believe the words she was hearing. "My family doesn't exist anymore!" she laughed bitterly, "How can you not see that?".

"Clare" Helen hissed dryly. "Look, I know everything's changing and you feel like the world owes you because you've suffered but news flash, it doesn't Clare! You will be okay with this one day but until then! You _will _learn to live with us!".

"Maybe not!" Clare screamed, backing away.

"What are you talking about now?" Helen frowned.

"Maybe I don't have to live with you!" Clare cried as she backed towards the front door. "Luckily for me, I have another parent who may or may not give a shit about what I want! That's right, I said the word shit! And I didn't go up in flames, mother! God didn't send a lightening bolt down to strike me! Nothing happened!".

"Clare!" Helen looked on verge of picking up something and smashing it against the wall.

"Oh don't worry, I'll keep you updated on my life" Clare said bitterly as she opened her front door, "Since you've done such a great job of keeping me updated on yours!" she stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

"Well that was awkward" Jake mumbled.

**oOo**

"Give me something with lots of caffeine" Clare sighed as she stepped up to the Dot's coffee counter. She smiled tiredly when she saw the sight of her messy haired boyfriend. Fiona and Adam waved at her from their table and Clare smiled at them back.

"What's wrong?" Eli frowned at the sight of Clare.

"Everything's just moving so fast" Clare replied quietly, "I just spoke to my mother, she's moving Jake and Glen in, or talking about moving into another house. And Jake's still being a dick, wanting to transfer to Degrassi and I know it's just so he can piss me off".

"I really hate that guy" Eli agreed, going to make Clare a cup of coffee. "We can talk more during my break. You know the offer to sleep at mine is always open if you want it".

"I know" Clare smiled back, taking her cup of coffee from Eli. "Let's do something tonight. Just us".

"Sure" Eli smirked his half crooked smile, "We can even have our first official date" he watched Clare grin back and walk over to take a seat next to Adam and Fiona.

"Amuse me people, I need a chuckle" Clare greeted Adam and Fiona. Fiona was on her laptop while Adam was highlighting bits of texts from several printouts.

"Well you know my Godmother I was telling you about last night?" Fiona began, "The one who's been basically giving me money to stay alive, well, she's rich and wealthy; because of all the estate properties she owns. And, she has an apartment, not too far from Degrassi or here actually, and the people renting it moved out yesterday and she said, if I wanted it, I could have it! I'd need to pay rent of course, it's $543 a month, not including food and utility bills but I'm nearly eighteen and if I can get a job, then I can advertise for roommates who can split the cost with me".

"That's great, Fiona" Clare replied, "Oh sweet freedom, tell me what it feels like when it's yours".

"Things bad at home still?" Adam cocked his head up, asking.

"Jake and Glen are practically moving in today" Clare flared her nostrils angrily. "Jake's taking Darcy's old room, and then Glen was talking about maybe finding a new house, I'd hate my life completely if I didn't have a drop dead gorgeous boyfriend" she cast her eyes back to Eli.

"Or amazing friends" Adam shrugged modestly.

"That too" Clare smirked at him. She took a sip of her coffee, "I wish I could do what you're doing, Fiona. I tried calling my dad the other day but he didn't pick up. If I was going to move out, it'd need to be with him, right? Except he won't answer his stupid phone or call me back".

"Clare, if you really want to move out, then you should" Fiona said sympathetically, "My mom's completely against me staying here, but I'm seventeen and until I'm eighteen, all I need is one biological or legal guardian's permission to live on my own in safe living environments. My dad already said I could, considering Declan has the option of hiding out at Yale. My mom's not happy with it at all, but luckily she can't do anything about it".

Clare had suddenly perked up. "Wait, _what_? You really only need one parent's permission to live by yourself?". Fiona nodded back.

"Clare, what are you thinking?" Adam frowned.

"Fiona" Clare ignored Adam and turned to the dark haired girl, "What would you say if I suggested that we get an apartment together?".

"What?" Fiona and Adam gasped at the same time.

"Think about it" Clare started excitedly, "If I could get my dad's permission to live elsewhere, I could move in with you, right? Then when I'm eighteen it won't matter, that's still a year and a half to wait, but it's not like I can't play the 'you cheated on mom and left us' card".

Fiona smiled slightly, allowing the idea to play out in her mind without completely rejecting it. "Clare, are you sure you wanna do that? What about rent? How would we split the first half? We need a deposit as well".

"I've got $550 in savings and I can get a job" Clare answered quickly.

"Wow, where did you get $550 from?" Adam gasped.

"You know, saved up for it" Clare said awkwardly, before forcing a smile on her face. "Okay seriously, I know we've only known each other like a day and a half, but we go to the same school, we're both friends with Adam, we're both girls, I mean, wouldn't you rather room with someone you know than a stranger who could be a potential psycho killer?".

Fiona thought about it for a second before crying "Okay!".

"Okay?" Clare gaped.

"Okay!" Fiona jumped up.

"Okay?" Clare cried back, reaching out to hug Fiona.

"I'm so confused" Adam chimed in.

"Hey, you guys look like happy people" Eli said, walking over to the table. "What's going on?".


	10. The First Date Effect

**A/N:** No idea what Randall actually does but in my story, he's a lawyer! It's AU folks! Review :) ?

* * *

**DARE ME, NOT**

**Chapter Nine:**

"**The First Date Effect"**

**oOo**

Clare hadn't been to her father's firm since she was twelve, mostly because she hated lawyers and all the lawyer-y stuff they did. Her father was one of the top Attorney's in the building and his office was all the way up on the seventh floor. Clare couldn't help but think bitterly to herself that all those 'late working nights' hadn't been about lawyer-y stuff at all. She knew she'd probably get five minutes with her father - if that - because he was a busy lawyer but she was going to follow him all the way into court to be heard if she had to. Her mother had tried calling her twelve times since she left the screaming match earlier at her house, but she turned her phone off and waited until the elevator brought her up to the seventh floor. Cheesy music played in the background and it made her want to reach out and tear the speaker box from the wall. She was extremely nervous, she hadn't seen her father for months. She was hoping for the best but expecting the worst. The elevator doors pinged open and Clare stepped out into a busy office. She began on the path to her father's office before anyone could stop her.

Clare marched into her father's office and saw her dad, Randall, sitting behind his desk with his phone to his ear. "Hi dad, remember me? Your biological daughter?" Clare slammed the door behind her and raised her eyebrow. Randall made a quick excuse on the phone and hung up, standing abruptly. They both stood, staring at each other across the space, sharing an awkward atmosphere.

"Clare" Randall smiled. "It's so nice to see you, but I have court in an hour, I have to prepare-".

"I'll be quick" Clare took a seat opposite her father's desk and he eventually sat down, looking slightly puzzled at best. "As you may or may not know, Mom got engaged to Glen" she paused "Martin".

Randall leaned back into his chair, "I did not know that. Wow. Really, Glen Martin? Wow, I remember him and Jake. He must be your age now".

"Physically, he's a year older, but mentally, he's a five year old" Clare muttered under her breath. "Look, not the point. Anyway, Mom wants them to move in immediately, and I don't. I don't want to be around any of them, I'm suffocating there. So I was thinking you could-".

"Oh Clare" Randall leaned forwards, rubbing his eyebrows tiredly. "Clare, I'm really sorry but you can't move in with me. I'm living with a woman called Irene, she's my girlfriend and she has the kids every four days. There'd be no room, I'm really sorry Clare-bear".

Clare sucked in a breath. Things really were changed. It's not like she had expected her dad to ask her to move in with him, but she didn't think he'd flat out tell her that, without even giving her the opportunity to finish her sentence. "Okay" she said slowly, "I'm going to ignore everything you just said and finish my sentence. I need one parent's permission to move out and live somewhere else, without mom, without parental supervision and I need your permission".

"I'm sorry, what?" Randall gaped. "Are you being serious-".

"I'm being deadly serious" Clare interrupted him this time. "I've already got a potential roommate, and she's a friend, I go to school with her. Soon, she'll be eighteen and she won't need her father's permission to move out, but I need yours. I've saved up, I've got money, I can pay the month's first rent and during that time, I'm going to find a job to help support me" Randall was staying quiet this time and Clare continued "Look, I know you think that just because I'm sixteen, I'm not old enough, but trust me when I say, I'm ready to move out. I'm ready to have my own independence. If your divorce with mom has taught me anything, it's that you can survive, even without the people you thought you couldn't".

"I hoped our divorce would also teach you that you deserve true happiness" Randall said quietly. "Even if it's not with the people you think you _should _be happy with".

"Well, I'm not happy! And I should be!" Clare cried, "You and mom destroyed my life, changed everything I've ever known and made me feel like I was the one who broke you apart! Do you even know how alone I've been feeling these past few months? But, I was just a messed up little kid back then and now I'm not. Now I know what I want. I know what I need. I need breathing space, from you, from Mom and from her sick little twisted happy ever after. And I've got friends that light my way, even when the darkness is consuming me" she stood up and leaned in, "Come on, dad. You know me. You _know _I can do this. I know you know! I've always been responsible, I've always been school conscious and this will help my academics. This will help me" she pulled back and tears slipped from her eyes. "I lost myself, something I blame you and Mom for and I can't help it. I blame you, I'm sorry. But now I can find myself again. Don't you trust me?".

Randall let out a deep sigh and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I'm sorry you're hurting, Clare. I should have been there for you".

"You can make up for everything" Clare sighed, "All you have to do is give me permission to move out and don't try to lawyer talk me out of this. I know Mom doesn't have full custody of me, I'm the one who chose to stay with her because I felt like I owed her something. But now I don't owe anybody anything. Please dad, I need your help".

"On one condition" Randall started and Clare jumped up, gasping. "On one condition" he repeated. "I get to check out the apartment first. And meet your roommate. And you both sign a roommate agreement with your landlord or lady about noise control, damage control, house insurance, and occupancy".

"Fine!" Clare grinned, practically bouncing on the spot. She couldn't wait to tell the others. They would flip, considering Adam was so sure Randall would reject the idea completely.

"And if you're really serious about this Clare, Melanie on the first floor needs an assistant, I'll put in a good word for you and you can start next week. And you'll tell your mother, Clare? It's important that she knows as soon as possible" Randall added.

"Thank you, dad" Clare smiled sincerely. "But I will find my own job, my way. Although… my soon to be roommate could fill it, she's really organised, and way better at handling lawyer-y type people than I am".

"Lawyer-y type people?" Randall frowned.

"You know" Clare shrugged, "Uptight, annoying, horrible, soulless-".

"I got you" Randall nodded back, "I'll email you the details and you can pass them onto your roommate then. Tell your mother I said Hi".

"I will not" Clare replied, smiling. "But really dad. Thanks" as Clare turned to go, she double backed, "Hey, just out of curiosity, you don't have a new number do you?".

"Yeah, new phone" Randall replied, already glancing over some papers on his desk. "I'll send it with the email".

"No need" Clare said before she left his office. "You do your own thing and I'll do mine. We both know that if I need to call somebody, it won't be you, or Mom".

Randall glanced up at Clare, momentarily taken back by her words.

"Take care, dad" Clare smiled as she left his office. Randall sat back in his chair and sighed. He wondered briefly, before returning back to his work, when his Clare-bear had changed, because she was not the girl he had last seen.

**oOo**

"I got it!" Clare declared to Adam and Fiona as she ran into the Dot. Eli was sitting next to them, taking his break. He opened his arms, and Clare fell into his body, seeking out his lips. Adam interrupted them before they could get into it and the kiss left Clare momentarily dazed. Adam snapped his fingers to bring Clare back to the present as Fiona laughed and Eli leaned in to nip at Clare's neck. After Adam snapped at her again, Clare quickly refocused her attention on him and Fiona. "My dad said I could move with you! He wants us to sign a roommate agreement with our landlady though, it's lawyer-y stuff don't worry, it's basically just a precaution against us throwing wild parties and having crazy sex with strangers" she blushed, "Anyway, I think I also got you a job" she said to Fiona.

"A job?" Fiona gaped. "How?".

"One of my father's paralegals, Melanie, needs an assistant. I've met her, she's a little… Well, she's nice but when things get stressful, her tolerance level goes down. You can work it around school. You in?".

"Hell yes I'm in!" Fiona cried. "Just tell me when and where".

"Can I just say" Eli whispered into Clare's ear, "When you're running around, taking charge, it's very sexy".

Clare raised her eyebrow and turned to look at him, "Really? How sexy?".

"Let's just say, tonight, is going to be something from one of your vampire fiction stories" Eli breathed heavily in Clare's ear.

"I wouldn't expect anything less" Clare kissed behind his ear and felt his hand grip her back in reaction.

"I'm just going to pause the porn for a sec" Adam's irritated voice interrupted them. "Clare, are you sure you want to do this? Leave your mom and live with Fiona, alone?".

"You can still back out, Clare" Fiona added.

"For once in my life, everything's falling into place" Clare replied, "I've got an amazing boyfriend, great friends and a father who actually believed in me instead of ignoring me. Everything's almost perfect today. I want my own independence, I will have no regrets about doing this, I promise. So go call your Godmother and tell her to get things moving, as soon as possible".

"Okay!" Fiona jumped out of her seat and ran off to make the call.

"I should get back to work" Eli said regrettably. "Everything's still on for tonight?".

"I'll tell my mom I'm staying at Fiona's again" Clare replied, beaming, "And then you can finally show me those baby pictures!".

"Not a chance in hell" Eli replied playfully as he got up and Clare snagged his seat.

Clare glanced over to Adam and noticed he had gone quiet. "Adam?" Clare frowned. "Do you not want me to move in with Fiona?".

"It's not that" Adam shook his head, "It's just that… I'm getting a bad feeling about this".

"What about?" Clare asked quietly.

"I don't know" Adam looked up, stressed. "I don't know if I'm just worried that you and Eli are moving too fast or that you're moving too fast with this whole moving out thing but last night, out of the blue, I just got… a feeling. A bad one, Clare. Something bad is going to happen, soon".

"Adam" Clare tried to laugh it off, but she herself could see the worry in her best friend's eyes. "Adam, everything's going to be fine".

Adam forced a smile and nodded back. He tried to pretend like everything was fine but he had an inkling, in the pit of his stomach, that very soon, nothing would be fine ever again.

**oOo**

"Clare!" Fiona laughed as the younger girl pulled her behind a bush outside of the Dot. "Clare, what is going on? Adam's going to be back from the bathroom at any moment! Clare?".

"Keep your voice down" Clare whispered, ducking down and dragging Fiona with her. "Someone might hear us!". Twenty seconds ago, Clare had watched Adam leave for the bathroom and making sure that Eli was preoccupied, she had dragged Fiona from her seat, outside of the Dot and behind a nearby bush where they couldn't be seen. "Fiona, I need to ask you something… personal and I need you to be honest with me".

"Okay" Fiona pushed her hair out of her way. "Ask me".

"If a guy tells you he's happy to wait a month before having sex with you… Why?" Clare whispered, biting her lip insecurely. "Does that mean he's not really interested in you? Or does that mean he's having sex with someone else?".

"Clare" Fiona began slowly. "I don't know Eli that well, but… when he looks at you… Trust me, that's the look of someone who would take a bullet for you. He's not having sex with anyone else. And if he said he's happy to wait a month, or however long then it's probably to make you feel more comfortable. Trust me, you have nothing to worry about".

"Okay" Clare smiled slowly, taking a deep breath. "Okay. Sorry, my mind tends to wander into dark irrational places sometimes" she paused, "Just another quick question. Uh, how painful is sex for a virgin? Should I take some painkillers beforehand? And why exactly do people use lube? And how long is it supposed to-".

"Clare!" Fiona laughed, cutting her off. "I'm probably not the best one to give you advice on sex, mostly because when it comes to my relationships, I'm the guy in them. I'm the one who initiates it, I'm the one who takes control" she noticed Clare's disappointed face and added, "But I guess I could tell you about my first time. It was last year, and it was painful, my hymen broke, it was messy - you don't wanna know, and I think I even cried. But then…" she trailed off and smirked widely, "Then it got really good" she laughed at Clare's blush. "Look at the end of the day, if you love the person you want to have sex with, that's all that matters - that's all you need for peace of mind. Oh that and safe sex. Always wrap before you tap".

"That was not helpful at all" Clare grimaced as she stood up and Fiona did also. "But thank you".

"Well, I try. And we are going to be roommates soon" Fiona shrugged, beaming. Then she frowned, "Clare Edwards, are you thinking about having sex with Eli Goldsworthy tonight?".

"My head says no but my heart…" Clare trailed off. "I honestly don't know. When I'm not with him, he's all I think about and when we're together, I feel… complete - corny I know. And when we kiss… I just never want to stop" she glanced down to the promise ring on her finger, "But I made a promise to God, to wait until marriage. I don't wanna be the girl who gets a boyfriend and loses all of her morals".

"Morals are overrated" Fiona said loosely. "But more than anything, when it's right, you'll just know, Clare".

"What are you two doing behind a bush?" Adam's confused voice interrupted them.

"Picking up dirt" Clare answered quickly and then suddenly frowned. Fiona shot her a look of absurdness as Adam folded his arms.

"Why are you picking up dirt?" Adam asked slowly.

"Because…" Clare began, wincing awkwardly, "Because… of a reason that Fiona will now tell you. Fiona?" she titled her head towards the Senior.

"I lost my earring!" Fiona cried suddenly, "In the dirt and Clare was… helping me look for it".

Adam gave them a deadpan expression and then turned to walk back into the Dot.

"What the hell was that?" Fiona gasped as she stepped out from behind the bush. "Why make us dirt lovers for crying out loud?".

"_Me_? What about _you_? You're not even wearing earrings today!" Clare snapped back. She tried to leave the bush but was pulled back when she noticed her scarf mangled in the twigs.

"You could have just told Adam" Fiona reasoned as she helped Clare disentangle her trapped scarf.

"No way, Adam would have freaked" Clare whispered, eyes wide. "He hates talking about sex with me, he goes all awkward and starts making baby seagull noises".

"Baby seagull noises?" Fiona frowned. "Wait, is _that _why Adam sounded like a bird when he said you and Eli were having sex in my bathroom last night?".

"We didn't have sex" Clare insisted as she had to remove her head from her bush-eaten scarf. It was her favourite one; a red one that her father had bought her for Christmas. "We just made out, a lot".

"And he gave you a hickey" Fiona smirked at the sight of the love bite on Clare's bare neck. "Is that why you were wearing a scarf? Good god Edwards, what's the craziest thing you've ever done? Ridden a carnival ride without holding onto the handlebars?".

Clare gasped, "I am plenty wild thank you very much!" she yanked her scarf from the bush and almost stumbled over when it came free, twigs and all. "I'll have you know I visited a strip club just recently".

"Sure you did" Fiona said mockingly, heading back towards the Dot with Clare following after her, "Did you also get on the stage and dance as well?".

"Don't be absurd" Clare deadpanned.

**oOo**

"My phone is officially off" Clare declared as Eli slipped his arm around her waist and brought her into him. It was just after 10PM and Eli had finished his shift at the Dot. "I text my mother that I was staying at Fiona's and that I needed time to cool off" she added as they walked down the street towards Morty. Clare wasn't sure what their 'first date' might include but she even didn't care. It could be just sitting in Eli's room, watching a mundane film or it could just be sitting in Eli's room listening to his ear throbbing rock. It didn't matter. As long as they were together. As long as Clare could finally reach out and hold him. Watching him work all day and not really being able to touch him was driving her mad. "So, what's on the agenda for tonight? No crazy strip clubs?" she smiled at his warm laugh.

"Not tonight" Eli shook his head "Tonight, let's just have fun" as they stopped at Morty, Eli turned around and brought Clare into him, smirking at how he could catch her off guard. "You really do have pretty eyes" he whispered against her lips, teasing her skin by slipping his hand under her top and feeling the base of her spine. He stole the breath from her mouth and smothered her lips with his. He wondered if Clare would ever realise what kissing her meant to him. She meant _everything_. He turned her around and pressed her back into the passenger door of Morty. She whimpered into the kiss, and panted his name into his mouth. It was so absurd how someone could become your everything. It was almost imposturous. Clare was somehow ready to give Eli what she had been terrified of giving away ever since her horrible and ridiculous break up with KC. She was still terrified, in a way, but she was ready to be terrified _with _Eli. Somehow she knew he would be the most important thing in her entire life and that should have sent her running the other way, but it only made her press against his entire being more.

She couldn't be close enough to him. Eli groaned at the feel of her body and his hands slipped down to wrap around the back of her thighs and hoist them up around his waist. He steadied her back against Morty as his erection pushed unforgivingly into Clare's centre and she angled her hips; trying to rub their groins together. Clare knew she should have cared about what was happening - and not _because _it was happening, but because it was happening in the middle of the dark street, up against Morty. But she couldn't find the will to care. He was here, and she was here and everything just felt right. Hot mouths on each other, hands splaying across each other's body, feeling each other's crooks and hidden curves, panting each other's name as the light of the moon shone from above them. If it wasn't for the whole alfresco thing, Clare might have considered letting it carry on, but she couldn't let herself be caught having sex in public. It just wasn't Clare Edwards. She pulled away from Eli's hot kisses and groaned at the loss of his tongue.

"Sorry" Eli let Clare slide her legs down his legs to the ground again. "Whenever I start to kiss you, I can't seem to think straight" he gazed into her lustful eyes.

"No it's not that" Clare cleared her throat, feeling the warmth in Eli's arms. "It's just…" she swallowed, suddenly feeling very insecure. "I do not need to be caught for public indecency tonight" she laughed slightly as Eli reluctantly pulled away from her. The minute he was away, she craved his touch and wanted him back on her again. He put further distance between them by leaving her at the passenger door and walking over to the driver's door. "Where are we going?" Clare asked, hoping he would take her to his house.

"It's a surprise" Eli said. He got in the driver's seat as Clare hopped in the passenger seat. He started Morty's engine and Clare smiled to herself as they began driving. She played around with his radio, knowing he was already smiling at her trying to find a channel that they both would like. It was impossible but weren't they complete opposites. They both loved writing and creating other worldly fiction and on some deeper level, Eli knew they were one in the same. Clare frowned as Eli turned into a back alley and continued down, taking another dark corner that Clare was not familiar with.

"Where are we?" Clare frowned. She had never been around this part of the city before but Eli gave nothing away and continued to smile. She looked out of her window and her eyebrows creased further when she saw the sign for a Drive-In Movie. Her grin lifted and she turned to meet Eli's smirking beam and sparkling eyes. Eli turned another corner and Clare was braced with the sight of a large projection screen yards away. In between the space between them and the projection screen was already parked cars. Clare almost couldn't believe he had brought her here. She'd read about Drive-In Movies before but never thought she'd actually get to experience one. To the side of the projection screen was a shack of some sorts, that sold food and juice. Eli parked so they were in the middle of the projection screen view and got out, quickly walking over to Clare's side to open her door for her.

"So?" Eli smirked, his tongue poking out. "What do you think?"

Clare pretended to think as she got out of Morty. "That depends really" she shrugged casually but inside she was grinning. "What movie's playing?".

"Your favourite" Eli wrapped an arm around her neck and closed her door behind her. They began walking towards the food shack. "Fight Club" the minute he said those words, Clare made a laughing squeal as she pulled him closer. Eli knew that while Clare liked the book by Chuck Palahniuk way better than the movie, she'd still watch it with him any day.

"This is way better than our _Taco Bell-_slash-Morty-date" Clare began, "Or our detention date, or even the strip club date".

Eli laughed, "If I had known you were counting those as dates, I would have made a move on you sooner".

"Then why didn't you?" Clare joked back but there was a seriousness to her question. "Adam said I was not subtle at all with you and you… definitely made me feel special" she paused, "Why did the cool popular Elijah Goldsworthy wait so long?".

"I guess I just didn't want to risk making you feel awkward and losing your friendship if you didn't feel the same way" Eli shrugged back, trying to fight the guilty feeling resting on his shoulders. Not one day passed that he didn't think about that fucking dare or the repercussions that carried with it. "It's your spark for life that attracted me to you but it's your kindness and pureness that made me fall in love with you". He suddenly froze, shocked by how he had just blurted that out. Clare had frozen too, and they had both just stopped walking. Eli glanced down at Clare's unreadable expression and opened his mouth to try and salvage what he thought he had wrecked.

"I love you, too" Clare said before Eli could talk.

"Really?" Eli whispered, feeling his throat go dry. "Because you're just saying that to spare my feelings it's okay Clare-".

Clare reached up and crushed her lips to his to cut him off abruptly. She pulled back ever so slightly. "I love you" she whispered against his lips.

"I love you" Eli wrapped his arms around her and brought her in for a tight hug. "You don't know how much you've saved me from myself, you're everything I ever wanted and everything I never knew I needed. I never want to lose you Clare".

"You won't" Clare whispered into his neck, hugging him back just as tight. "I need you in my life, Eli. I can't function without you. I want this. I want us" she pulled back and kissed him slowly and softly, feeling his appreciation against her thigh. She smiled into their kiss and wondered how she could have ever been blessed with a love like this. If she ever needed any affirmation of God's existence, it was bringing Eli into her life and making him her everything. It was saving her from the pain that nobody else could possibly understand. It was bringing people into her life that normally wouldn't be there. It was allowing her to be independent. Clare had a whole new perspective on life and she knew it wouldn't have been possible without Eli. He was shaping her and he didn't even realise. Eli panted into Clare's neck, feeling himself harden even more.

"I need to calm down" Eli said through gritted teeth, "But it's so hard - pun intended - when my girlfriend is so sexy".

Clare laughed lightly against the base of his throat, her lower abdomen tightening with an ache that was almost painful. "Maybe tonight…" Clare began quietly, looking at Eli's chest because she was embarrassed enough. "…We can help you, relieve the tension".

"Clare" Eli tipped her head up slightly. "I'm not rushing you into anything. Just holding you thrills me".

Clare's gaze met his and she said, "I scare myself with how much I want you, you're intoxicating".

"We'll take it slow" Eli's stomach flipped over with joy at her words but he knew that he couldn't have sex with Clare until the month was up for the dare. It would feel too much like a betrayal to Clare's innocence and in some ways, more of a betrayal to her heart. He turned, and slung his arm over her shoulders again. "Come on, we better get some food before the movie starts".

By the time Clare and Eli had bought a bagful worth of burgers, chips and hotdogs, the movie was just about the start. Eli stuck the paid for sticker on the window, showing that he had paid for the parking space. He stopped Clare from getting back into Morty and returned from the trunk with two blankets. He laid one on the hood of Morty and easily picked Clare up onto it. Clare laughed as Eli jumped on the hood as well, using the other blanket to cover them both. They both rested their backs on the windshield, Clare snuggling into Eli as she rested the bag of food on her lap.

"This is it" Clare murmured happily as she glanced at the large projection screen rolling the beginning credits. "This is what I've always wanted".

"You're what I've always wanted" Eli pulled her closer. "Whenever I'm with you, everything bad in my life just disappears". Clare smiled against his chest, her fingers dancing lightly over his bare arm, causing goosebumps to appear. She wanted to be with him all the time, she wanted to wake up every morning and see his face. She wanted to be able to slide into his bed every night and just hold him. She wanted to snuggle up to him on the couch and interlock their fingers together whenever she wanted. She wanted him, all the time. That would never ever change.

And then suddenly it just… _dawned _on her - what she _really_ wanted. This was more than just lustful hormones, more than a high school affair, more than a teenage love, more than just an infatuation. She loved Eli, with every fibre in her soul, she loved him. And she loved all of him, his darkness, his sadness, his guilt from Julia, his insecurities, his jealously, his possessiveness, his touch, she loved _all _of him.

She wanted him, forever. By the time the movie ended, Eli was halfway through eating his cheeseburger when Clare sat straight up and declared, "Move in with me!".

And then he began to choke.


	11. The Double Infinity Duality

**A/N: **Hello! Hope you all enjoy! Warning: sexual content in this chapter!

The original Infinity symbol mentioned is a reference from chapter 3 in case you've forgot. The Double Infinity symbols mentioned later in this chapter are different from the single Infinity symbol. Links to both pictures can be found on my profile because it's a little hard to describe the latter :)

Anyway, thank you for reviewing if you did! Review?

* * *

**DARE ME, NOT**

**Chapter Ten:**

"**The Double Infinity Duality"**

**oOo**

Eli swallowed the rest of the burger lodged in his throat and looked at Clare's happy face with a shocked expression. Did she just say-

_"Move in with me!"._

Yes, yes she had. Clare was still peering into Eli's eyes, trying to decipher what was going on with his reaction. He certainly hadn't seen that one coming. It wasn't a no brainer really. He loved Clare, he wanted to spend all of his time with her but… Did she mean move into a room with her, or move into the same apartment but different bedrooms? And did the flat Fiona's Godmother owned have more than two bedrooms? And how would that even work? Would there be like a bathroom schedule and separate fridge shelves? And how would his father react when he told him he was moving in with his girlfriend and a girl he barely knew?

And did he really want to have two females - one being his _girlfriend _- as roommates? Eli knew his commitment to Clare was real, but there was so much more she didn't know about him. He slept in just his boxers, he always left the toilet seat up, he practically flooded the bathroom whenever he took a shower, his bedroom was bomb-aftermath-wreckage meets Hell, he never washed his dishes, he drank milk from the carton, he watched Family Guy - which he knew she absolutely loathed, and sometimes, when he was alone, he walked about naked. Clare and Fiona would never want Eli as a roommate.

"Oh my god, you think it's a horrible idea" Clare's face fell and she untangled herself from Eli, sliding off the hood. Eli scampered after her, twisting out of the way of moving cars who were leaving because the movie had ended. Clare was flushed with embarrassment. She had no idea why she even said that. It had made sense to her at the time. But now, seeing Eli's halted and panicking reaction, she knew she'd gone and made it completely awkward. She cursed under her breath; she had completely butchered their first date. When Eli caught up to her she opened her mouth and spoke before him, "Look it's fine, okay. You don't have to explain, it's just me being all Clare-like, rushing into things and… Never mind. Can we just go back to the beginning and pretend this never happened?".

"Clare, I love you" Eli grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "But I would be a _terrible _roommate. I mean, truly, truly awful. I'd tape over your nature programs by accident, I would leave things lying around, I'd do anything I could to get out of cleaning - dust makes me dry heave" he smiled at her slight smile, even though she was trying so hard to keep a straight face. "Don't get me wrong, I'd love to move in with you… and Fiona who I barely know but I'm just scared that if we become roommates and you see all of me - you see who I am when I'm alone… You'll hate me and you'll stop loving me".

Clare laughed, right in his face and she reached up to cup his cheeks. "Eli, haven't you guessed by now? I _love_ you. I'm in too deep, nothing could make me stop loving you. So what you're messy, I can live with that. So what you don't like cleaning, I'll just make you do it and then reward you afterwards" he laughed as he pecked her lips suddenly. Clare wrapped her arms around his neck and added; "I want to be with you, maybe it's unhealthy living together when we're still so young and we're going out but maybe that's okay. I just like the thought of being able to walk across the hall and see you whenever I want, and you're going to have to get an apartment anyway when your dad loses your house… I just thought you'd like living with me, but seriously Eli, no pressure".

"Maybe it's not the best idea" Eli smirked against Clare's neck, "But this just feels right and… okay".

"Okay?" Clare pulled back, gazing into his eyes. "Really? Yes?".

"Yes!" Eli captured her lips suddenly. Then he pulled back. "What about Fiona? What if she doesn't want me to move in? What if there's not enough rooms? And if I can't put money forwards the end of the month-".

"I'll talk to Fiona" Clare murmured back, smiling lazily. "And there is enough rooms. Fiona gave me the link to the old apartment listing earlier, it's a really nice place, Eli. Four bedrooms which means Fiona and I would have to get more roommates anyway. Can't you just feel everything falling into place? I love you, nothing can tear us apart".

Eli ignored the nagging feeling of guilt and hugged Clare back stressfully. Clare was already pulling away and yanking his hand towards Morty. "Let's go to your house" she said, smirking. "Your dad doesn't get in till early morning? Then we have the house to ourselves".

"Actually, I did have one other place planned" Eli felt his grin return.

**oOo**

"Oh my god! This shouldn't taste so good but it does" Clare cried as she and Eli walked casually down the dark street romantically lit by several lampposts. She glanced down to the mint chocolate ice cream cone she was eating and the Tabasco sauce covered on top of it. When Eli had taken her to the 24 HOUR open ice cream stall on fifth street, she wasn't expecting this. But it was strangely good; the cold smooth texture of the mint chocolate ice cream contrasting with hot spicy Tabasco sauce. Eli laughed back at her and reached out to link their fingers together.

"It works doesn't it?" Eli replied cheerfully. "People tried to tell me it didn't work, but it does, it's so weird, but it just goes together… Like you and me" he smirked at Clare's sparkling eyes. She reached out, wiped away a bit of ice cream from the corner of Eli's mouth and licked it off her finger with her tongue, giggling when Eli raised his eyebrow and grinned down at her. It was normal now, for him to grinning like an idiot every five minutes. Clare just brought that out in him and he wasn't even ashamed. In fact, he liked it. He spent so much time dwelling on the negative and feeding off of his own pain and guilt that he had truly forgotten how wonderful it was to just be happy and carefree. It was wonderful to let people in and have them not betray you. It was wonderful, to feel like there was actually someone out there who just got you. Clare was wonderful and when they were together, so was he.

"What are you going to say to your mom when she finds out your dad gave you permission to move out?" Eli asked after a quiet moment.

"I really don't know" Clare replied honestly. She'd been so wrapped up in getting her dad's permission and talking to Fiona and drowning in Eli, that she had completely forgot she would have to go home tomorrow and tell her mom about the moving out. There would probably be lots of thrown objects and screams and tears and swear words. Probably. "In some ways, I don't care. I know that sounds selfish but I've had to sacrifice so much, my sister, my parents, everything was destroyed and maybe I'll feel differently in five years but right now, I just need my own space and I need to find stability for me because I'm not getting it anywhere else. But I'm actually excited, I can make my own rules - within the limit of course - and I can just surround myself with people who don't make me feel like everything's my fault. Course I'll still have to get a job but at least I have a couple weeks to look. Sorry I'm rambling".

"I love it when you ramble" Eli admitted, smiling at Clare's growing blush. "It makes you look so adorable".

"Don't ever call me adorable again" Clare scolded him lightly. "Never, ever, ever, ever again!".

"Command received and understood" Eli said in a robotic like voice, causing Clare to laugh and drop her weird combination ice cream cone.

"Crap!" Clare cried, "Damn I really wanted to finish that".

"Shame" Eli mocked her, licking his own ice cream cone slowly and purposely.

Clare smirked and reached out to bat the ice cream cone out from his hand to land on the ground beside hers. "If I can't enjoy mine, neither can you" Clare narrowed her eyes as Eli gaped.

"You're a child" Eli stated, stoic. "You are a child".

"Grammatically incorrect" Clare pointed at him. "You mean to say 'You are _like _a child' not 'You are a child' because it is physically impossible for me to be a child so therefore you must add the 'like'. Also when people ask you how you are, you're never supposed to say 'Good', you are always supposed to say 'Well'. Superman does good, you are well-".

Eli cut her off by crashing their lips together and tasting the weird ice cream combination on her tongue. Clare lost her breath momentarily and stumbled backwards a little bit, Eli moving with her. He would never get bored of kissing Clare, he would never tire of it. This was pure bliss.

"I just wanna remember this moment forever" Clare gasped against Eli's open mouth. "I just wanna capture this moment and never forget it" they held each other's gazes until a door nearby opened and drew Clare's attention away. She was about to turn back to Eli when she saw the open door was the door to a tattoo and piercing place. "Let's get even crazier" Clare yanked Eli's hand towards the open door.

"Clare" Eli frowned, "What-".

"Come on Eli!" Clare cried, dragging him up a narrow flight of stairs that led into a small shop. It was small and dimly lit. On the right side of the shop, there was the tattoo bit and on the left side was the piercings bit. There was only one lady in the shop, sitting boredly behind the counter and raising her eyebrows up when she saw Clare and Eli. She was in her mid twenties with flame red hair and several face piercings.

"Eli?" the girl behind the counter suddenly stood up.

"Maggie?" Eli gaped. "Oh my god-" he crossed the distance between them and hugged each other. Clare stood awkwardly in the background, suddenly feeling extremely insecure. "How have you been?" Eli pulled back.

"Well, I stabbed my cheating ex husband and got away with it. He doesn't even remember the incident" Maggie shrugged. "How are you?" she smirked, glancing behind him to Clare.

"I'm great, actually. This is my girlfriend Clare" Eli motioned for Clare to come forwards and she hesitantly did so. "Clare, this is Maggie. We go way back, met each other through…".

"Julia" Maggie finished for him awkwardly. She glanced to Clare and smiled, "Nice to meet you. I'm glad Eli's dating someone normal. God Eli, she's so cute".

Clare shifted uncomfortably. Well this certainly wasn't helping her feel secure. Eli beamed down at Clare and wrapped his arm around her waist. Clare relaxed into Eli's touch and suddenly felt a little bit better.

"Well, what can I do you for?" Maggie cleared her throat. "Tattoos? Piercings? I'll tell you what, I'll give you both something free. Anything you want. I'll do it. Anything for little Eli".

"Little Eli?" Clare couldn't help but ask.

"Eli didn't grow into his height until he turned fifteen. Funnily enough that's the last growth spurt he ever had" Maggie poked her tongue out mockingly.

"Ha ha" Eli replied dryly. "So when did you get your tattoo license?".

"Six months ago" Maggie shrugged as Clare wandered off slightly to the side to glance at all the pictures of tattoos. "I know, I can't believe how much things have changed either" Maggie added. "So how have you been, Eli? Really?".

"At first not so great" Eli said quietly. "And then things started to get better. Met new people, got some good friends and then I met Clare. Everything just makes sense now" he swallowed, "So you haven't…?".

"Seen Julia?" Maggie shook her head. "I can't bear it. Every time I go up I just remember the last time I ever spoke to her. And it breaks my heart so much I can barely stand it".

Clare kept her ears on the conversation behind her as she tried to focus on the pictures of tattoos. God it suddenly just felt wrong to be here, talking to a friend of Julia's. Clare felt guilty, but it was strange because she had nothing to feel guilty about. She walked a little further away from them, hoping the ground would just open up and swallow her. Why in the love of God did she have to drag him up here? In all the cheap little tattoo places in all the world and she barges into the one with Julia and Eli's old friend.

"Are you okay?" Eli suddenly slid his arms around her waist, surprising her slightly.

"I'm fine" Clare nodded, "Are you okay?".

"Yeah" Eli replied honestly. "I really am and that's because I have you" he glanced to the picture of tattoos "So, what do you think? You wanna go wild crazy and get a tattoo? Or a piercing? Or… We could get matching piercings".

"Matching piercings?" Clare raised her eyebrow with a smirk. "I kind of like that, actually, but how about something more permanent? Like matching… tattoos?".

"Really?" Eli grinned. "You - Clare Edwards - want to get matching tattoos?".

"Yes" Clare nodded. "Let's do it. I'm so ready to take my independence and I will do that by permanently damaging my body in ink that I will probably regret one day when I'm old and crinkly and crazy" she laughed along with Eli and turned back to the pictures of tattoos, "So, what do you think? What screams 'Eli and Clare' collectively?".

"I was taking maybe…" Eli began, "What about the symbol for double infinity?".

"Infinity?" Clare's eyebrows creased. "That's a you and Julia thing" her chest constricted with hurt.

"No, Clare. It wasn't like that" Eli shook his head. "That was the symbol for infinity - it wasn't double infinity; they're different symbols. With Julia, the infinity concept meant nothing, I didn't love her like I love you. I'm _in _love with you, I was never in love with Julia. It didn't exist with Julia the way it exists with you. Double infinity, it means I love you infinity times infinity. It means that nothing can destroy it, Clare. It's not the same thing. What you and I have is real".

Clare blinked slowly before letting out a deep breath. "It better look different, Elijah Goldsworthy".

"It does" Eli leaned in to press his lips softly against hers. "Everything looks different with you" he pulled away despite his reluctance. "So, what do you think? Do you want it?".

"Yes" Clare whispered, smiling slightly. "Okay! We're already moving in together, what's left to do?".

"Everything!" Eli grabbed her hand and pulled her towards Maggie.

**oOo**

"I feel fucking wild!" Clare cried as she barged into Eli's room. Suddenly she glanced around and felt a blush growing. "This is the first time I'm in your room" she turned and saw Eli leaning in the doorway, smirking at her. "I feel funny" she slumped onto his bed. "Am I supposed to feel this dizzy, Elijah?" she laid her head down and rested her eyes, soaking in the intoxicating scent of Eli's sheets. Eli chuckled and walked inside, closing his bedroom door behind him. He shrugged off his jacket and kicked off his converses.

"It's perfectly normal, Clare" Eli assured her. "Some people react differently to tattoos than others. Does yours still hurt?". He glanced down to the inside of his right wrist, where he had gotten the tattoo for Double Infinity. It was bleeding slightly and wrapped in clingfilm, taped up with cellotape. Clare had the exact same tattoo, but she had her tattoo on the inside of her left wrist, wrapped in clingfilm. She hadn't expected it to hurt so much but she hadn't cried - just grimaced and choked back a string of curse words. Eli had held her hand and then looked like he was taking a walk in the park when he was getting his done.

"It's just numb now" Clare mumbled into Eli's pillow. "I still feel dizzy for some reason. I can't believe you can't touch it for 48 hours, or take the clingfilm off for 12 or get your wrist wet for 72 hours or have to rub cream on it every 4 hours in 52 hours time. That's a lot of hours Eli, you know. Hours… It's long" Clare groaned and turned over, careful not to bash her arm against Eli's bed. She heard Eli's laugh and glanced up to see him standing by his closest. She watched him for a moment, just admiring the curve of his back and the slimness of his body. She smiled to herself, feeling the clench in her lower abdomen again. He was so sexy and so unbelievably appealing. How did he not know that?

"Clare" Eli's voice said from within his cupboard "Do you want to change into anything?" he stepped back out with two baggy t-shirts and two sweatpants. He turned to see Clare sitting up, already staring at him. He handed Clare a pair of sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt. "I'll just go get changed in the bathroom".

"Or you could just change here" Clare smirked childishly.

"I could" Eli smiled back, shrugging. He paused for a moment and then added, "Are you sure you're okay? You want some Tylenol?".

"Nope" Clare laughed suddenly, "I just want to stay with you".

Eli closed the distance between them and kissed her deeply, slipping his tongue inside. Clare moaned into his touch and moved so she was lying back and he was on top of her. Their fingers interlocked, pressing against the bed as they kissed like it was the stability for the foundation of everything. Clare's eyes shot open when Eli bit her neck and her body arched upwards into his at the feel of his tongue when it danced over her shoulder. His erection pushed into her and Clare smirked, moving their hips together, enjoying the mangled groan caught in the back of Eli's throat.

Her fingers slipped out of his and grabbed the hem of his top, pulling it upwards carefully, making sure it didn't touch the clingfilm and his newly tattoo. She slipped it over his head and brought their lips together. After a few moments, she turned them over so she was straddling him. They stared at each other and then Clare swallowed, beginning to bring her top over her own head. She bit her lip insecurely as Eli just stared at her. The air on her bra and bare stomach was not as harsh as she thought it'd be. He admired her curves, taking in her doe-eyes and her black lacy bra that contained her breasts.

"You're beautiful" Eli sat up so she was in his lap. His darkened eyes drifted away from hers as he bent his head in and began to place kisses over the top of her breasts. Clare gasped, her head rolling backwards and her face contorted in pleasure. Eli gripped her waist, holding so tightly she knew she would bruise but she didn't care. She gasped, moving forwards and shoving him back onto his back. She swallowed the lump in her throat and bent in towards him, placing her hands at either side of his head. This was it. She was ready. She was ready to give everything to Eli. She would never be alone again. "Clare-" Eli began but stopped abruptly when she reached around her back and unhooked her bra.

"It's okay" Clare whispered, smiling as she abandoned the thin piece of fabric. "I'm ready" she rejoined their lips together, smiling into their kiss as Eli's hands couldn't help but trace lightly over her bare flesh. One of his hands was splayed out across her spine, pressing her naked chest to his and making him even harder than he was. She was his Clare. She wanted this. He wanted this. He was lost to their fevered kisses and desperate moans and the neediness of their exposure. He thought he would never find someone to heal him, but he had. He found Clare. She needed as much healing as he did. He could tell she was as disillusioned with the meaning of life as he was but she would never say it out loud. She was Christian girl Clare after all, everyone else needed her to be strong for them. When did she ever get this kind of freedom and want and need?

And it's not like he didn't hear himself in the back of his mind. He knew there would be no coming back from this. If he and Clare had sex before the month was up, the Dare Overlord would have all the ammunition they needed to destroy the already fragile girl on top of him. If he could just wait more than a bloody month. Then technically he never did the dare and damned be the consequences. But she was here, right in front of him, naked and baring her damaged soul to his tormented one. She kissed him with passion and even though he could tell she was nervous, she didn't care. She was disregarding all of her rules - she was throwing away her relationship with God for him. How the fuck could he be so selfish? He'd barely known Clare more than two weeks and she was already his everything. Everything else was blocked out - except the sight of Clare, pinning him down with her petite body and kissing him with everything she had.

"Double infinity" Clare whispered against his lips.

He had made his mind up. He couldn't do this to her. Not like this. This would happen one day and it would be amazing but not when he wouldn't even be able to look her in the eye. He pulled his lips back from hers and reached up to stroke her hair back. "Clare" he swallowed dryly. "We can't do this tonight".

Clare's face contorted with confusion. "Why?" she whispered, biting her lip.

The sight of her hurt and confused eyes made him ache inside with the kind of guilt that made him want to start cutting again. Then he remembered something that might actually be of use to him. "No condoms" Eli said, with a little too much relief.

Clare let out a little puff of air on his cheek as her fingers splayed over his shoulders. "Well" she leant back down to kiss his lips again. "What else can we do?" she raised her eyebrow up at him and he couldn't help but smirk back. He captured her lips again and rolled them over so he was on top of her. He bent his head down, running his tongue over her creamy flesh and exposed breasts, savoring the moan that erupted from the back of her throat. There was something about the sight of Clare Edwards coming undone that made him break inside all over again.

His fingers slithered down to her jeans and undid the button and zipper. He moved off her slightly, dragging her jeans down her legs and grimacing at the aching throbbing between his thighs. She was too perfect and she didn't even know it. He discarded her jeans, his eyes nearly having a heart attack at the sight of such a naked Clare, only covered by a pair of white pants. It took him only another moment longer before his jeans joined hers on the floor. He covered his body with hers and smiled down at her face. "I love you" he whispered into her throat.

"Eli" Clare hissed out. "I need-" she stopped, maybe too far gone to form normal sentences or maybe just too stressed to finish. But he knew what she wanted. Their hips were pulsating against each other and Clare's insides were turning and twisting at having Eli's hot erection through his boxers against her pants. They weren't having sex but he could still release her. He could still make her feel good. Making sure their foreheads were pressed together, he looked into her eyes as he abruptly and bluntly rocked their hips together. He throbbed painfully and Clare felt a sensation shoot from her core up through her gut. Her eyes were wide and she was gasping. She certainly hadn't been expecting that. Before she knew it, she was rocking her hips with his, mimicking the act of sex as his tongue plunged inside her like she wished he was doing right now. She had never been found sexually wanting - until now. She had never craved for sex before and she never understood it - until now. Eli's hands were placed at either side of Clare's head as their lips and tongues fought for dominance.

She wrapped her legs around Eli's waist, helping them both get more access. Their hips rocked together and Clare grimaced in pleasure. They pulled away, burying their heads in each other's necks because the friction and growing climax was beginning to get too much. Their thrusts were more brutal, faster and more blunt. Clare's nails dug into Eli's back as his teeth bit into her neck. They were so close together, so close, so together. Both their tightly wrapped coils were close to exploding.

Clare bit down into Eli's shoulder and thrust into each other harder one last time.

So clos-_. _

Eli rolled away just in time before they both came.

The high was euphoric. Their bodies constricted and then released. Pleasure darted from the tips of their fingers to the bottoms of their toes. Clare had no idea a feeling like this was even possible. Her lips were puffy, her chest was breathless, her cheeks flustered. Eli was the same, gasping for air. They both lay beside each other, lost momentarily in the after sensation.

"Eli" Clare gasped. "That was-".

"Yeah" Eli nodded slowly, licking his dry lips. A buzz in the air still lingered.

He reached over and linked their fingers together, bringing Clare into his side, careful not to let their wet underwear touch. He couldn't be sure but he'd heard rumours of girls getting pregnant even with dry sex. He reached over and kissed Clare's head, smiling at the sight of her looking like she'd just gone on the world's highest rollercoaster ever. He grabbed his sweatpants, shrugged them onto his legs and them preceded to shove the other pair onto Clare's legs. She wriggled to make it easier for him and laughed.

"I love you so much it hurts" Clare murmured as Eli turned her onto her side and pressed their bodies together. Their naked chests tangled together as Eli brought his bed covers over them, covering both their naked torsos. Her messy curly hair and her lazy lids made him reach out and place soft kisses on her closed eyelashes. His fingers traced over her cheeks and into the crook of her neck where he had left her another hickey.

"You're so perfect" Eli whispered painfully. "I never want to hurt you".

Clare smiled back slightly and brought her head into his chest. "You won't" she whispered back against his skin, causing shivers all the way down his spine into the sordid pits of his soul. She sighed softly and wondered how the moment could have gotten anymore perfect.

For Eli, he wondered just how long their bliss would last.


	12. The Roommate Expansion

**A/N: **Sorry if this one seems rushed, I'll go back and grammar check later but I'm in a rush today so like it, love it, hate it, review it. Please? Bye!

* * *

**DARE ME, NOT**

**Chapter Eleven:**

"**The Roommate Expansion"**

**oOo**

Clare blinked her eyes open and glanced around. She wondered where she was for a moment, before she remembered the night before. She and Eli had had their first date, they had said their first 'I love you's', Eli had agreed to move in with her, they had even gotten matching tattoos and they had shared their first intimate moment together. She stretched out in Eli's bed, suddenly realising that he wasn't lying next to her anymore. She rubbed her tired eyes and sat up, clutching the covers to her still naked chest. Eli's bedroom door was shut and the sun was shining through his blinds. Clare reached down to the bottom of the bed and grabbed up the t-shirt that Eli had offered her last night. She slipped it over her head and stood up, stretching her arms and legs. She padded over to her jeans, took her phone out of her pocket and hesitantly turned it on. She'd probably have a million missed calls and texts from her mom, and probably Adam as well.

She waited, yawning briefly as her phone made it's usual turning on noise. She walked over to Eli's window and moved the blinds up, letting the sun's warmth hit her. She glanced down to the inside of her left wrist where her tattoo was still covered in clingfilm. She couldn't have asked for a more romantic night. Everything had just been perfect. It was a peaceful sunny Sunday afternoon and Clare should have been home getting ready for Church service but she found that for once in her average existence, she didn't care. She looked at her phone and saw it was just after 11AM. Eli had Sunday's off from the Dot and she bit her lip, wondering if she should go downstairs and try to find him but the thought of accidentally running into his dad Bullfrog was not something she wanted to do. How awkward would that be? She'd probably never live that down.

She sunk back into Eli's bed and knew she had to take care of all the missed calls and texts. Her mother had called her 34 times and had left her several angry voicemails but no text messages. Adam had called her 10 times and sent her 5 text messages;

_10:27PM - __**Clare, how's the date going? Remember you don't need to have sex unless you don't want to.**_

_11:10PM - __**I'm serious Clare. Don't feel pressured into doing anything you're not ready for. Because if he does, I will hunt his emo ass down and kill him.**_

_11:14PM - __**Okay, I may have been slightly overdramatic with that last text. Sorry. But remember what I said.**_

_11:58PM - __**I've just got off the phone with your mother, Clare. She was ranting about you not coming home and she wanted Fiona's address! I fobbed her off, and told her I didn't know where Fiona lived but that you were safe with her. **_

_00:16AM - __**Wow. Your mother is scary. Turns out your dickhead of a soon-to-be stepbrother told your mom he saw your recently updated relationship status on Facerange. I lied again and told her that Eli was a respectable young man of God. YOU OWE ME.**_

Clare bit her lip and pressed speed-dial 1 on her phone, waiting for it to ring. She leant against Eli's headboard and held her breath. Adam picked up on the second ring.

"_Thank god Eli didn't kidnap and kill you in your sleep"_ he joked but his tone was not mocking. He seemed a little annoyed.

"Adam, I'm so sorry!" Clare winced "If I had known my mom was going to bother you, I would have called her instead of texting her. I didn't wait for her reply about my cover of staying at Fiona's again, I just turned my phone off after Eli stopped working. She probably just wanted to make sure I wasn't with Eli at Fiona's, or worse, at Eli's… Which is where I am, by the way".

"_I figured" _Adam replied. _"She was going to call the police but I managed to stop her. I gave her Fiona's number and Fiona being Fiona convinced your mom that you were already asleep and 'emotionally drained' as it was. Honestly, she's a really convincing liar. You have to see it sometime"._

"Thank god" Clare sighed, "I can't believe Jake ratted me out to my mother about Eli. What a jerk! As if he hasn't done enough damage. Did you stay at Fiona's last night?".

"_Yep. We stayed up and watched the movie marathon of all The Mummy's. It was great. I'm still here, but Fiona's asleep. She also snores, it's really adorable. So, how was yours and Eli's night?"._

Clare involuntarily blushed at the thought of how close she and Eli had gotten to having sex. The look on Eli's face when he climaxed was probably the hottest thing she had ever seen. "Adam, it was the best date I've ever had! I mean it, it was so romantic, he took me to a Drive In Movie and we watched Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club on the hood of his car under a starry night. Then he took me for ice cream, this really weird but surprisingly wonderful combination and then we…" she bit her lip, "We got matching tattoos".

"_What?"_ Adam's voice shrieked down the other side of the line, causing Clare to grimace. _"You did what? Clare, please tell me that was a joke"._

"No Adam, it wasn't a joke. It was the most magical night I've ever had" Clare replied frostily. "He told me he loved me, Adam. And I love him, you already know that. I _love_ him like I've never loved anyone before in my life. I don't care that's this is rushing into things, I don't care that maybe I'm too young to know what love is, I don't care what people think, I don't care that I'm blind to reason and logic, I would give all of me to him, gladly. He just… He completes me".

"_Clare, did you have sex with him?"_ Adam's accusing tone cut through her momentary joy.

"No!" Clare cried, "Absolutely not" she sighed. "I honestly thought you'd be happier for me, Adam. I'm finally happy with my life, don't you get that? Everything is falling into place, and it's because of Eli. He's given me this confidence and independence to do things that I wouldn't normally do".

"_It's not that I'm not happy that you're happy, Clare. I'm just worried about you rushing into things so fast. You've barely known him longer than two weeks, you've only been going out with him since Friday. I mean, come on, it doesn't take a genius to work out that you're moving too fast. And it's not just that, Clare. Soon you're going to be moving out of your house and into a flat with Fiona, who you've only known since Friday as well. I just- I don't want you to get hurt, life is isn't like this, Clare, things don't just happen this fast - at least not for people who take a step back and look at the bigger picture"._

Clare could feel angry tears well up in her eyes. Why the hell was Adam trying to bring her crashing down to earth like this when she could happily be up on cloud nine? What kind of a friend seeks out to destroy someone else's joy? Did Adam really not get it? How she felt like a complete outsider in her own home? How she could barely stand being around her mother? How being with Eli in those two weeks had given her more love and peace of mind and happiness that she had had in her entire life?

"_Clare?" _Adam asked after a long prolonged silence. _"Look, I hate when we fight, which we've only done once over a stupid pack of gum. I'm just trying to look out for you, you're like my little sister. You're just changing so fast, Clare. I mean, it's a Sunday and you're not at Church. Are you even still wearing your ring? What's happened to Clare Edwards?"._

Clare wiped away a stray tear from her cheek and tried her best not to give away the fact that she was about to start sobbing. "Listen, I'm going to hang up, before I say something I'll regret. Please don't call me again today" she swallowed dryly, "And when Fiona wakes up, can you tell her to phone me? I've found another roommate for us" without waiting another moment, Clare ended the call and brought her knees up to her chest, letting out a deep breath. Just when she thought about getting up and going to find him again, his bedroom door creaked open and Eli appeared, smiling lazily with his messy hair and creased t-shirt.

"Morning" Clare breathed out, straightening her legs.

"Are you okay?" Eli frowned as he got closer to his bed. When he saw the tears in Clare's eyes he let out a deep breath. "Clare, I love you. Please tell me what's wrong? What it last night? Did we go too fast? Was it the tattoos? Clare-".

Clare moved from her place on his bed and crushed her lips to his, pushing him on his back and silencing him. She pulled back, breathless. "It's definitely not you" she whispered, her eyes distant.

"Tell me" Eli mumbled, sliding his hands up the back of her t-shirt affectionately.

Clare brought her fingers up through the side of his hair slowly and brought her lips back to his. He shivered into her touch, wondering how he had ever lived without her. Then, with a frustrated sigh, Clare pulled back and Eli sat up, rubbing circles into her knee caringly.

"It's Adam" Clare whispered. "It's my mom, it's Jake, it's _everything_. Adam thinks we're moving too fast, with the tattoos and the I-love-you's and he thinks I'm changing, and not for the good. He thinks I've lost sight of my life, my beliefs… because of you" she paused, "He even thinks moving in with Fiona is a bad idea".

Eli let out a deep breath and linked their fingers together. "Clare" a smile ghosted across his lips. "What do you want? Forget about your mom and Adam and Jake and forget about me. Forget about what your religion tells you to do, forget about society and it's expected behaviours. What do _you _want?".

Clare glanced out of Eli's window and appreciated the beautiful sight of the sunny afternoon. Then she turned back to Eli and smiled back. "I have everything I want. I want you. I want independence. I want to wake up and feel like I live with people who get me. I want to live with people I can stand. I want this, you, Fiona, moving out, even Adam, I want it. I have it".

"Then that's all that matters" Eli stroked her cheek softly. "Adam will come around when he comes around and you'll be there for him when he does. Maybe he's right, maybe we are moving too fast, he is your best friend after all, he's only trying to look out for you. As long as you're happy with who you are, then that's all that matters".

"You make everything alright" Clare couldn't help but wrap her arms around his waist and pulling him in. The warmth of his body soaked into hers and she wondered how two people could have been made so perfectly for each other. Eli opened his legs and brought her into him, sighing softly at the feel of her fingers under his t-shirt.

"Are you going to talk to your mom today?" Eli asked into the top of her head.

Clare nodded against his chest. "Unfortunately, I have to go home and face the music. Fiona told me yesterday that the apartment would be ready to move into in a week. And her Godmother would give us a free month on the rent. I'm so excited, I literally can't stop thinking about it, Eli. Just imagine it, you, me, Fiona and some unknown person out there are going to be rooming together soon! How crazy is that? Did you ever think it would end up like this?".

Eli laughed at her enthusiasm. "I really didn't think it would".

"Will your dad be okay with you moving out sooner than planned?" Clare asked.

"Probably" Eli shrugged, "He doesn't care about much anymore, just sits and drinks when he's not working. He came home at 6AM this morning and just drank for an hour before going to sleep. I can't wait to get away from the stench of beer".

"Soon, everything will be okay" Clare added, "Once we sign the roommate agreement saying we won't be wild and crazy tenants, the parent giving their permission needs to sign the actual apartment lease on behalf of us. Then when you and Fiona turned eighteen soon, you can resign it yourself".

"You never did tell me about what happened at your dad's work" Eli's eyebrows creased together. "He really just agreed to it, that easily?".

"It took some convincing" Clare shrugged, "I did play the guilt trip card a little bit. But I think he sees what I see as well; that I'm ready for this, I want this, I _need _this, for my sanity as much as my mother's. My dad wanted to meet Fiona, which he will probably when she goes to work at his law firm, but he can't know you're moving in as well" she lifted her head, "He would never allow me to move in with my boyfriend. If he ever finds out, we'll just say you're a long time gay friend".

Eli laughed.

"I would need to worry about my mom telling my dad about you if they didn't hate each other already and refuse to talk to each other at all" Clare shrugged simply, "Who knew my parent's divorce would actually work in my favour for once?".

"Wait, what?" Eli frowned.

"Long story" Clare replied, "Jake told my mom we were going out because of the Facerange status, so she can never know my boyfriend is moving in with me because she'll tell my dad and he'll revoke his permission. And since my dad still wants to know who'll be moving in with me, I'll make sure to tell him you're a long time gay friend and when my mom finds out I'm moving out, I'm _never _telling her about you staying with me, ever. She'll never know my boyfriend's staying with me and my dad will never know you're my boyfriend. Simple, right?" she finished with a sharp intake of breath.

"Are you sure you want to lie to both your parents?" Eli asked, "And what about Fiona? She might not want me".

"It's just easier this way, Eli" Clare smiled up at him, "And Fiona will not care who moves in, as long as they're not a murderer or a stalker or a psycho killer".

"Damn, I guess that's me out" Eli shrugged mockingly. Clare burst out laughing and grabbed the back of his neck, pressing their lips together.

"We will have to get a fourth roommate soon" Clare smirked against his lips. "Know any other hot emo guys out there?".

Eli flipped them over so he was straddling her. He pretended to think for a moment and then shrugged. "Nope. I'm the only one" he bent in and began placing kisses on her neck.

Before they could get heavily into their make out sessions, Clare's ringing phone stopped them. Clare reached across Eli's bed and grabbed her phone, answering it promptly. "Hello?".

"_Clare, it's Fiona! Adam told me to call you, is everything okay?"._

"Yeah" Clare replied, "Everything's great actually. I found a third roommate for us, and it's perfect because we already know him".

"_Really? It's not that pigeon guy is it? Because I'm not staying with a man who raises pigeons-"._

"No it's not Larry" Clare interrupted her, "It's Eli. Eli can move in with us, he's going to need an apartment soon anyway".

"_Wow, Eli? Actually, that works out great considering I don't have a car anymore and Dr Doom can give us a ride to school in the death cab"._

"Okay great" Clare grinned, "Oh by the way, when you go to my dad's law firm for that job, do not mention Eli at all yet. My dad can't know I'm moving in with my boyfriend and neither can my mom. If either of them finds out, my permission will probably get revoked".

"_Got it. No worries. I'm meeting up with my Godmother today for a late lunch, do you want to come? Bring Eli, we can all sign that weird roommate agreement, she thinks it's a good idea as well. She's also going to need your dad's fax number for his lease signature and Eli's dad will need to sign one as well. My dad already signed the lease, oh thank the heavens for the power of a fax machine"._

"Yeah sure" Clare smiled back. "Just text me the details, see you there" she hung up and glanced back over to Eli. "We're having lunch with Fiona's Godmother today. She wants us to sign the roommate agreement. Then you can get a copy of the lease for your dad to sign and my dad can get the lease faxed over to him and everything… Everything will be perfect".

The sad part about living a lie, is that sometimes you don't even know it, and before it's too late to realise, everything is most certainly, not perfect.

**oOo**

It was just nearing 6PM when Clare walked in through her front door. She'd had a late lunch with Fiona's Godmother, Fiona and Eli and after sorting out all the legal side of the lease, they all separately signed the roommate agreement. Clare called her dad's assistant to tell her that the lease would be faxed over to him and Eli took home a copy for his dad to sign. Everything was just falling into place. But in the back of her head, all Clare could think about was her almost fight with Adam and her impending fight with her mother. It wasn't like she had the energy for it, but she'd have to go home and face the music sometime. Eli had dropped her off, kissed her slowly and with meaning and even offered to come in with her, but she shook her head and left Morty, watching him until he disappeared round the corner.

She had borrowed Fiona's long sleeve cardigan at lunch to hide her tattoo and the clingfilm. Fiona had thought the tattoo was amazing, which made Clare all the more confused as to why Adam wasn't jumping on board with this. When she walked in, she expected to find Glen and Jake having dinner with her mom, but she didn't. The kitchen light was on and Clare walked her way through to see her mom sitting at the kitchen table, reading a newspaper in one hand and eating what looked like left over stew. Helen glanced up at Clare, made an annoyed grunt and turned back to her newspaper. Clare sighed and walked towards the table, taking the opposite seat. She fiddled with her nails for a moment before she took a deep breath. "Look, I'm sorry about the argument we had, I really am. I want you to be happy, mom. Don't you want me to be happy?".

"Of course I do" Helen put down the newspaper. "I know it's been a rough year on you, Clare honey, but things are changing for the better this time. Glen and Jake are a new part of our family but that doesn't mean our old family didn't mean as much. It'll always mean something, we'll always have those memories, but it's time to move on, don't you think?".

"Actually I do" Clare nodded back. "Which I why I went to see dad".

Helen stiffened but didn't look as annoyed as she felt. "Oh? How is your father?".

"Good, he's good. He's living with someone now" Clare replied, "A woman named Irene, she sounds nice" she paused, "I asked him to give me permission to live with Fiona Coyne".

"What?" Helen gaped.

"He said yes" Clare continued, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Mom, I'm leaving in a week and I'm moving in with Fiona. Fiona's Godmother is letting us rent out one of her apartments and she's giving us a free month before we need to pay anything. We signed a roommate agreement today and dad's signing the lease on behalf of his permission. I'm moving out, Mom".

"Clare Diane Edwards" Helen hissed out, standing up. "You cannot come into my own house and tell _me_ what's happening! You will most certainly not be moving out! This is not happening, do you hear me young lady? Absolutely not!".

Clare stood up, holding in her anger. "I _am _moving out!" she gritted out through her teeth, "There's nothing you can do! Canadian law states that only _one _parental permission is needed to move out for people aged between sixteen and seventeen! And you can't change the law, mom! It's the law!" she screamed the last part dramatically.

"How about I take your father to court and get full custody of you and then I can say no!" Helen screamed back.

"Are you really sure you want to do that?" Clare cried, "Are you sure it won't take up all of your precious time with Glen and Jake?".

"Is this honestly still about Glen and Jake?" Helen's arms went up in exhaustion. "I don't know what to do with you anymore, Clare!".

"I do! I want to move out! Don't you get that? It's not about hurting you or trying to spite you! It's about the fact I don't want to be around here anymore! I don't want to be here, with you, or Glen, or Jake, or dad! Honestly, I'd rather live alone! But I can't afford it! So I need a roommate, and so does Fiona! Why do you always have to argue with me on everything I do? Why can't you just let this happen?".

Helen's facial expressions went from shocked to traumatised to disbelief to absurdity. Her hand went to her mouth and she reached out for the doorway to hold onto.

"Do you honestly not trust me?" Clare asked in a lowered tone, tears welling in her eyes. "Do you honestly think I'll throw wild parties and skip school and forget about my grades? Because if you do, then you _don't _know me, at all".

"Is this about that boy that Jake told me about?" Helen asked suddenly. "Eli something?".

"Goldsworthy. His name is Eli Goldsworthy" Clare corrected her. "Jake doesn't know anything about Eli and I. He thinks he does, but he doesn't! Eli has nothing to do with this, trust me, this is all me! This is what I want! Can't you just listen to me, for once? I tried being happy for you and Glen. I was happy for you and Glen. Then you just move Glen and Jake in here like it's a competition for the 'how fast can I move up my engagement?' and I tried being happy about that. I _am _happy for you, really, mom, I want you to be happy but don't you want that for me as well?".

"Clare" Helen gasped, shaking her head with exasperation, "Clare, you are _sixteen _years old! This is ridiculous… Come on, can you really support yourself? How is this even going to work?".

"I have a month to get a job" Clare swallowed "And I'm going to be seventeen soon. I need you to trust me, you've raised me well, I can do this. I can take care of myself, I can try find some kind of stability somewhere else. I'm sorry if this hurts you but I'm not happy here".

"You're not always supposed to be happy, Clare" Helen snapped. "Troubled teenagers and horrible childhoods, everyone's had them! That's just how life goes".

"Mom, I'm not asking for your permission" Clare whispered sadly, "I am moving out. I have dad's permission and if you want to fight him for full custody, then I guess that's your move, but dad's a good lawyer and by the time the case is even seen by the court, not to mention all the trials and retrials, and the money that it takes to get a good lawyer. I'll be eighteen by the time anything even comes of it and you know it. What's the point forcing someone to stay when you know they want to leave?".

Helen let a few tears fall out of hers eyes. "I tried, Clare. I did everything I could to make you happy".

Clare began to cry as well. "I know" she swallowed. "It's not just you, it's me. I've found a way to be happy and I owe it to myself to try this. I'm sorry but I can't play happy families here. I can't stay in this broken home, it just hurts too much. I hope one day you can understand".

Helen cleared her throat and she let out a haggard breath, "You'll still go to Church" it was more like a statement rather than a question.

"Of course" Clare nodded back.

"And I want to meet this Fiona" Helen added.

Clare nodded again. "Where is Glen and Jake?".

"Back at their house" Helen replied, "Glen and I decided we're moving out of both our houses and buying a new one. I guess now the process can go quicker now, with you not coming with us" she tried not to sound bitter but Clare knew her mother still wasn't happy with the new arrangement.

"Thank you" Clare said sincerely.

Helen looked up, as if suddenly remembering something. "You might want to go up to your room, you have a visitor waiting for you" she turned and headed back into the kitchen as Clare ran upstairs and threw her bedroom door open. Adam was sitting on her bed, biting his fingernail.

"Come to tell me what a horrible mistake I'm making?" Clare closed her bedroom door behind her.

"I didn't" Adam stood up, "Clare, Fiona told me Eli's moving in with you and at first, I freaked out. I thought it was ridiculous but Fiona made me see something".

"What's that?" Clare asked without emotion.

"I've never been in love so I don't know what happens but Fiona told me about her experience with this abusive ex boyfriend of hers. She loved him so much she couldn't see anything else. She would have done anything for him, until it just got too much" Adam let out a nervous breath.

"Are you honestly comparing Eli to an abusive boyfriend?" Clare felt her eyes narrow.

"No, that's not what I meant" Adam shook his head, "Look, all I'm trying to say is, I _don't _understand, but it's not because I'm not trying to, it's because I've never experienced what you're experiencing. To you, this feels right. To me, this is insanity. But my point is… I am your best friend and I always will be. I'm going to support you on this, Clare. I'm going to argue your point to your mother, I'm going to help you pack up and I'm going to help you move in with Fiona and Eli. I'm going to be there and it's not because I think it's the right thing to do - because I know it's not - but because that's what friends do. They support each other even when they know it's not right. I'm going to be here for you, whether you like it or not".

Clare just stared at Adam for the longest of minutes before she looked away.

"So" Adam settled on her bed, "Show me your tattoo" he smiled and she couldn't help but slowly smile back. Adam's apology wasn't really what Clare wanted to hear but it's what she knew she needed. Friends aren't there to coddle you, or to lie to you, they're there to look out for you no matter what - no matter if the truth wasn't what you wanted to hear. As Clare rolled up her cardigan sleeve and showed Adam her tattoo, she knew she was going to be okay. Even if everything wasn't smooth running from here, she knew she would always have a love with Eli that defeated logic and reason and set free the soul, and a friendship with Adam that time and distance and difference couldn't defeat.

And in the end, isn't that what anyone wants?


	13. The Housewarming Occurrence

**A/N:** Hiya! Thoughts :)? Warning: Slight sexual context, nothing major.

* * *

**DARE ME, NOT**

**Chapter Twelve:**

"**The Housewarming Occurrence"**

**oOo**

"Fiona" Clare said stressfully, glancing around. "Please tell me you didn't buy that Mexican art poster from that homeless man outside" she rubbed her temples as Fiona climbed up on the ladder and tried to hang the Mexican influenced poster. It had the flag of Mexico and a bunch of other stereotypes that Clare couldn't help but grimace at. Fiona ignored her questioning and Clare walked over to the living room window, "Maybe I should go see what's taking Eli and Adam so long. I hope they haven't been assaulted by the homeless man" the sad thing she wasn't even kidding. It had been a week since they had all signed the roommate agreement.

Eli's dad and Clare's dad had handed back the lease with their signature, making everything completely official. Fiona had met Randall when she went for the assistant's job with paralegal Melanie and Helen had also met Fiona this morning when Fiona was helping Clare move her boxes out of her room. That hadn't been as awkward as Clare thought it was going to be but the spine crushing hug her mother gave her had made her all the more guilty. Her father thought Eli was a gay part time Barista and her mother had no idea Eli was even moving in with her. Helen made a comment about coming to visit and Clare fobbed her off with a vague response.

The apartment they were renting was 96 Rock Avenue, a first floor apartment in a small building complex. They had one apartment below them and two above them. The other side of the complex had the same, with a little garden, conservatory and pond. The building door also had a security buzzer Intercom that connected into their apartment so they could see who wanted in when their door button was pressed. That was a plus in both of Clare's parent's eyes. Their door was a double proofed brown oak door that Fiona had already gone on to nickname 'Wilfred'. It had one top lock, one bottom lock, a chain and a peephole. That's probably what Fiona got most excited about - the peephole. She was a secret people watcher, and not so much people, as women.

When you opened Wilfred, you were greeted by a long stretched window that ran halfway across the opposite wall. In the space between Wilfred and the opposite wall, there was the living room area, only partially furnished with two couches and a TV. To the right of that was their walk in kitchen and Clare liked the simplicity of having no wall between the spaces. It had the basics; a cooker, a fridge and a freezer. Fiona had already transferred her washing machine, bed and other couches over the previous day. Lying to the left of the kitchen was a small circular table and chairs left over from the previous owners. The left of the living room led them down a small hallway.

Clare had found the bedrooms when she travelled down the hallway and saw that two doors on each side mirrored each other: the four bedrooms. All had one window each and enough room for a bed and closet space. It wasn't the Ritz but the sight of it made Clare smile and she only did that stare off into space thing whenever she thought about Eli. The two bedrooms on the right side of the hallway were painted a simple nursery blue and green colour and the two bedrooms on the left side of the hallway were painted yellow and ivory. At the bottom of the hallway lay another door that led onto the bathroom and Clare wondered just many fights they'd all get into about that little speck of Heaven.

It was a simple non-boastful apartment, much like student accommodation, without all the privileges like free electricity and Wifi. Only one bedroom had a bed in it so Fiona took the yellow painted room and put her bed in there the previous night. Eli had a special attachment to his bed so Bullfrog had helped him bring his over this morning: their first official day moving in. All through week, they'd all used their copy of their key and brought over small little things but today was the actual day of their moving in. Clare had taken the Ivory painted bedroom; the one with the left over bed and Eli took the blue one; the door opposite hers.

They still had to fill the green painted room and Clare had already posted an Ad on Craig's List about a fourth roommate. The only replies she'd gotten were from forty year old divorced men and one prostitute. She hadn't told the others about the prostitute though. Fiona was adamant the fourth roommate should be a fellow teenager but Clare knew how unique their situation was; how were they supposed to find another teenager ready to move out of their parent's home in this economy? The only teenagers ready to do that were students going off to college and university and the majority of them got accommodation at their school. Not many students chose to flat share privately or commute from home. Clare set up her laptop on the kitchen counter and checked her email to see if she'd gotten any more roommate replies. She was also hoping the stores she'd applied to for a job would get back to her.

The front door was open when she heard noises coming from the building corridor. Eli and Adam appeared in the doorway, each carrying a box and laughing ridiculously about something. Clare smiled to herself and turned back to her laptop. When Adam had told her he thought she was moving too fast, she'd found it hard to accept, even if it was coming from her best friend - even if he was right, this new move felt right for her. She wasn't going to be one of those people who didn't do what she needed to, just because it wasn't the norm of social convention. She hadn't ever wanted to stand out, or create problems but she was changing and she knew it. Maybe this was God's plan. Maybe she was supposed to change. She couldn't stay naïve and sixteen forever. Maybe He wanted Clare to find Eli, maybe He wanted them to save each other.

As Adam helped Fiona fix the angle of the Mexican poster she had put up, Eli put down the box in his hands and glanced over to Clare. He couldn't believe what was happening. Three weeks ago, if someone had told him that he and Clare Edwards would be together and both moving in with Fiona Coyne, he would have laughed their face. His stomach was jolting every second they were together, and not just because her touch sent thrills down him, but also because in a week's time, the dare would be over and who knows what might happen. How would the Dare Overlord even know they had sex?

Maybe with this kind of dare, it doesn't really matter - does it? Sex or not, it would still crush somebody to find out the person they fell in love with only went after them for a dare. What that the Dare Overlord's true intentions? To make Clare fall in love with Eli so she could be crushed? Or was it also for his pain as much as hers? Eli had never believed in a God but he was praying to Him now, praying that whoever was the Dare Overlord didn't screw Clare over. He deserved to be punished, he knew that. He had many things to repent for, but not Clare. She was so innocent and pure and untainted and she didn't even know it.

Her loneliness made her all the more fragile. The realisation of what he had gotten himself - and Clare - into was starting to seep through the wall he'd put up weeks ago. Clare could make him forget everything that pained him, but ironically, she was also the trigger for the guilt he carried with the dare. It hadn't felt like he was living a lie, because he wasn't lying when he told her he loved her but someone had the potential to destroy Clare, and it was his fault. This was Julia all over again, except in a different scenario. Was this all he was good for? Hurting the ones he cared about? Destroying the love of his life? If Clare ever found out, would she ever look at him the same way again?

Clare sighed, and closed her laptop over. "No new roommate replies and no job replies" she made an annoyed face. "Is that all the boxes?".

Eli nodded and crossed the distance between them by walking over to the kitchen. "Yep. That's them all. Mine, yours and Fiona's. Bullfrog just left" he wrapped his arms around her and Clare pulled him into her, pressing their foreheads against each other. Absentmindedly Eli began swaying their bodies together and Clare smiled as they continued to dance idly around the kitchen.

"Does he know what he's doing yet?" Clare asked softly.

"Well, the house is repossessed next week so this really couldn't have come at a better time" Eli closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of her pressed against him. "He says he's already enrolled in the Navy. He just has to pass the medical examination, he'll probably be told to lose weight or something" he shrugged. "But soon I'll be eighteen and I won't need to be tied to him".

"What about your mother?" Clare whispered as they continued dancing. "You never talk about her".

"There's nothing to talk about" Eli said sadly. "She left us and she didn't want us. So I don't want her. How was last night at your moms?".

"Not so good, but not so bad" Clare tightened her grip on him. "She'd spent the entire week dropping hints at how terrible it would be to leave but by the end of it, I think she had realised this wasn't some prank. I was leaving. And when I did leave, this morning, she gave me this look… It was the same look she gave Darcy when she left for Kenya. And when she hugged me, it was like she was hugging me for the last time" she shook her head. "I know that's silly. I didn't think it would be hard to look at my room, my neatly made bed and the emptiness around it and feel sad, but I did. I had so many memories there. All of it just seems a blur, except the times with my dad and Darcy".

"We can make new memories now" Eli smiled slightly against her neck. "Do you think this will work? Us living together?".

"I think it will" Clare smiled back. "We won't always in each other's space, you'll be working and hopefully I'll have a job soon".

"If you get sick of me then maybe I'll transfer to student accommodation at TU next year" Eli chuckled. "I always have liked their dorms".

"So cocky you'll get in" Clare joked as she rested her head on his shoulder. She paused and then added quietly. "Thank you for everything you've done for me, for being there for my dare, for listening to me, for being patient. Thank you for being you".

Eli felt his chest constrict with emotion and he closed his eyes, trying to block out that voice in the back of his head that told him he didn't deserve happiness or Clare. "I love you Clare" Eli whispered dryly. "Please don't ever forget that".

"I won't" Clare ran her fingers up the back of his hair. "You'll never lose me". Eli fought back a grimace as he embraced Clare fully and squeezed her back.

"You guys need to get a room!" Fiona's sarcastic voice called from the living room. Clare gave her a playfully glare as Fiona and Adam disappeared down the hallway with a few boxes in their hands. Most of the boxes had taken up the living room and while the basics and essentials were all unpacked, all their clothes, trinkets, and other trivial things had yet to touched. Fiona had (apparently) fought her mother's lawyer tooth and nail for the expensive label maker she then preceded to use on every taped up box, marking what was hers, Clare's and Eli's.

Eli pulled back, smirking at Clare's flushed cheeks. "Your room, or mine?" he raised his eyebrow up.

Clare pretended to think, "Yours. I like your bed, especially when you're in it". She captured his lips in hers and Eli was a little taken aback. Usually he instigated their kisses. She slipped her tongue across his bottom lip and dived inside his mouth when he opened his lips to gasp. His hand gripped her hip as his other threaded in her hair. Clare pressed their bodies together, slipping her hands up his back and letting her nails graze his skin in a way that made them both shiver. Eli dominated the kiss, massaging her lips with such force that his head caused hers to go back. Her arms came all the way up his shoulder blades and gripped onto his shoulders as they stumbled backwards, her legs hitting the kitchen counter.

This was just another example of how they could lose themselves in each other. Clare was still terrified of baring herself to Eli completely but he'd seen her practically fully naked a week ago and nothing had changed between them. In fact, his spontaneous kisses had begun to grow more frequent since that night. She remembered her heart hammering the entire time she was topless and jean less in front of Eli but the lust in her lower abdomen had taken over her faculties and it was beginning to become less of a problem in her eyes. She knew she loved Eli and shared a bond with him she'd never find with anyone else - what was left to do really? She could see the wanting lean in Eli's eyes every time he looked at her in school or brushed up against her in the hallway or let his hand wander down her shoulder when he sat behind her in English class. He wanted her. The fire in his eyes, the passion, the spark, it was theirs. What was Clare waiting for? Marriage? A piece of paper that literally meant nothing in this society anymore?

Clare pulled away reluctantly for breath and Eli gave her two seconds to recover before he pounced on her lips again, kissing her with fierce intent. Her chest heaved against his own as the opportunity for recovery was stolen from her. This was what she had always wanted. A man to understand her loneliness, to want her kiss so desperately he deprived them both of air, to take her so passionately she knew she was wanted and to love her forcefully, to a fault. This was what her parents never had and this was what Clare had always wanted. Eli's hands slid under her top, up her smooth warm flesh to her breasts. Clare felt the coil tighten again as Eli caressed her through her bra. She knew it was dangerous to lose herself in the middle of the kitchen when Adam or Fiona could walk in on them but she was finding it so hard to function when Eli was bringing down the neckline of her top so he could suck the top of her breasts.

"Eli" Clare's voice choked on itself. She needed him to touch her, now. "Can we-".

"My room" Eli said roughly and grabbed her hand, practically taking off her arm as he dragged her into his room. He slammed her up against his bedroom door the minute it was safely shut them behind. His hands ripped her top off of her as Clare's fingers fumbled for his jean zip.

"Clare" Eli gritted out, trying to control the want in his voice and the need in his soul. God, he wanted her _right _now. But the dare-

"Don't talk" Clare commanded and the thrill of her tone sent him into overdrive. He let her take his top off of him and the sight of her bending over, her breasts pressed together in her black lacy bra made him hiss out a strangled "Fuck". Clare smirked to herself as she switched their positions and pressed him against the door. She started kissing his shoulders and instantly his jaw had tightened at the way her flustered appearance had never looked so in control and so scared at the same time.

Eli grabbed his head with the good kind of torture, as Clare led her kisses downwards. She was so close to his-

"Clare" Eli hissed out as her fingers slowly pulled his jeans down his hips and past his thighs. Clare felt her eyes widen at his erection inside his boxers. Just as she was about to slide his boxers downwards, Eli's hands grabbed her arms and pulled her back up. "You don't have to do this, Clare".

"I want to" Clare replied, her voice slick with lust. "I want this, I want you. I want you _with _me" her eyes tried to convey what her words couldn't.

"Clare" Eli swallowed painfully. "I don't have condoms". How many more times was he was going to use that one on her? She had no idea what she was doing to him. He wanted to push her over that kitchen counter and make her lose her voice screaming his name. But he couldn't demean her anymore than he already had with the dare pretence.

"Well that's okay" Clare batted her innocent eyelashes at him. Her hand slipped into her jeans pocket and produced a square condom wrapper. "Fiona gave me one". She couldn't decipher the look in his eyes. He looked ravenous at the sight of his innocent Clare, holding something that suggestive, but also torn - like he was fighting an internal war with himself. Clare's hand slid down to his boxers, his stomach muscles contracting at her light torturous touch but just before she was about to grab him through the material, his cold fingers caught her tiny wrist and the pressure he applied so she wouldn't move left marks.

"Eli" Clare whispered, frowning. "What's wrong? I thought you wanted-".

"Clare, you're not ready" at least he wasn't completely lying. He didn't think Clare was completely ready for sex but he wasn't going to argue that she had certainly grown braver.

"How can you say that to me?" Clare cried, ripping her wrist away from his grip. "I love you! We had dry sex the other week! We're roommates! What do you want me to wait for, Eli? A marriage proposal? Because I'm not even sure I believe in my ring anymore, my parents waited and they got _divorced_. Don't you want me?" her voice faltered at the sight of him pulling his jeans back up.

"Clare, you know I do" Eli moved towards her, "But I just thought we'd do… other things before we did sex. I know you _think _you're ready and that you want it, but when you cross that line, you can _never_ go back, do you even get that? You want to hear me say it? I wish I was still a virgin! My first time was _awful_ - I mean, it was really, really bad, Clare. It literally got stuck! Yeah, that's right. _Stuck._ We had to lie there, for ages before anything happened. It killed me to know that I was hurting Julia, she was begging me to move and then when I did, she was screaming at me to stop. It was traumatising! We certainly got over that pretty fast but I'm digressing! You really think I don't want to have sex with you, then you should take a peek at my dreams and see how graphic they really are. I want _all_ of you, but I want to know that you won't regret it and that I won't hurt you" at this point, he was talking less about the physical aspect of pain and more about emotional turmoil she'd be in if they did have sex and she found out about the dare. Then their first time would mean nothing. It would have been stolen, by an anonymous coward.

"Someone's at the door!" Adam's voice ran through the hallway.

Clare bent down to pick up her top and slipped it back over her head. She had said nothing the whole time because she had no idea what to think. She just needed to get away from the sight of a topless Eli. Her judgement wouldn't be so clouded. She swallowed, avoided his eyesight and went to walk past him, brushing his bare arm as she did so.

"Clare" Eli whispered.

"We'll talk later, Eli" Clare replied, "Someone's at the door" she slipped out of his bedroom, trying to suppress tears as she made her way down the hallway. Her face fell at the sight of Adam at the front door, looking at his brother Drew, and Eli's other friend Dave. They were both carrying pizza boxes in their hands and a crate of beer.

"Drew" Adam began warily. "What-".

"Housewarming party!" Drew interrupted, barging his way past Adam and into the apartment. "Hey Clare, I thought we should meet properly, since you're doing my best friend after all".

Clare laughed harshly. "Funny you'd assume that" she shot Adam an annoyed look and walked back down the hallway as she heard Drew and Dave settle into the couches. She opened Eli's bedroom door and saw him - top on this time - sitting on his bed. He glanced up, frowning. "Your buddies are here" Clare said with suppressed anger.

"Who?" Eli stood up, walking over to her.

"Drew and Dave, they brought beer" Clare responded.

"Oh did I hear the word 'beer'?" Fiona joined them in the doorway. She heard noises coming from the living room and asked, "What's going on?".

"Eli's friends came over for a Housewarming party" Clare said accusingly.

"I didn't invite them, I swear" Eli replied.

"Well, I smell pizza so I think as hosts, it would be rude to send people with food away" Fiona turned and made her way towards the living room.

"Clare" Eli started, "Please just tell me you understand where I'm coming from".

"I do" Clare sighed softly, looking away. "I just thought you wouldn't reject me, again".

"Clare, I have never rejected you, I resent that" Eli said coldly, catching her off guard with his tone. "I thought last week was another way to show you all the ways we could be together without sex. I don't want to push you. I don't want you to have a bad first experience, like I did, because you never get that back. The first time you're intimate with someone, you never get that back. It could be one of the greatest moments of your life or it could be the worst".

Clare swallowed. "I trust you" she said simply. "And I know I'm ready".

Eli let out a frustrated sigh. Batting Clare off for sex was not something he ever imagined he would have to do. It wasn't for the stupid dare, he'd have her right now.

"But maybe you're right" she murmured suddenly, gazing down to her ring. "Maybe we should… explore each other before we have sex".

Eli felt his heart beat normally again. "So we're okay? We're good?".

"Of course" Clare reached out to hug him. "I hate fighting with you".

"Technically this is our first fight" Eli smiled weakly against her neck, "But it only lasted five minutes. Five minutes too long for me" he pulled back and pressed his lips against hers, plunging his tongue inside. He was about to slide his hand up her stomach when the doorbell went again. Eli pulled away and Clare glanced to the end of the hallway.

"Who is that now?" Clare walked towards the living room, Eli in tow. They both felt their faces drain completely at the sight of Jenna, Bianca, K.C and a bunch of guys from the basket ball team standing in the doorway.

"Hey Eli!" Drew cried over, "I hope you don't mind, I invited some people over. Thought we'd make this a real Housewarming party".

Jenna, who was holding a Tupperware box in her hands, took a step towards Clare's direction. "I brought you a Housewarming gift" she fixed Clare with a cold insincere smile. "I hope you like pie, Clare. I brought Key Lime _Tart_". Clare didn't miss the subtle insult that Jenna just ironically dished out to her, with her usual bitchy smile.

"It's proper name is Key Lime _Pie_" Clare stepped forwards and took the box from her hands, catching Jenna off guard. "And I'm allergic to Lime".

"Shame" Jenna faked disappointment. "I'm sure you and Eli will find somewhere to put it" she walked past Clare and shoved Dave off the couch so she could sit next to K.C, who had already began a new game on the Xbox with Adam and Drew. Clare gave Eli a suppressed glare as she trekked into the kitchen where Fiona was downing another bottle of beer.

"What is that bitch doing here?" Fiona asked, "And what's this?" she grabbed the box from Clare's hands.

"It's Key Lime Pie" Clare muttered back, glaring over to Jenna and Bianca. "When Jenna and I were in grade nine, we were friends. I know right?" she added when she noticed Fiona's surprised face, "And this one time, I went to her house for dinner, and her mom served us Key Lime Pie for dessert and I took an allergic reaction to it and had to be rushed to the hospital. But then she decided that she wanted my boyf- Never mind. The point is, if she's going to play hardball then so I am".

"I have no idea what that means" Fiona slurred.

"Give me this" Clare grabbed the beer bottle from her hands and poured the rest of the beer down the sink. "This is the kind of thing we agreed we wouldn't do when we signed that roommate agreement, Fiona. No alcohol, no parties and no sluts" when Fiona raised her eyebrows Clare added, "Not you. Jenna".

"Kick her out then. Hell, I'll do it" Fiona said adamantly.

"And give her the satisfaction?" Clare licked her lips. "Oh no, no way. She will not win. I will crush her with kindness".

"That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard" Fiona shook her head childishly. "Oh Clare-bear! How did the condom go?".

"It didn't go anywhere, Eli wouldn't have sex with me" Clare sighed. "I don't know, maybe he's just being attentive and considering but I feel like he's holding something back from me you know? Every now and then, he'll say something like 'whatever happens I'll always love you' - like he _knows_ something I don't. Like he knows something is going to go wrong with our relationship. It's like-" she glanced over to see Fiona with her head under the sink tap, sticking out her tongue as the water ran from the tap onto her head. "Fiona!" Clare pulled her back and turned off the tap. "How much have you even had to drink?".

"Oh it's not because of the level of alcohol in my blood, Clare-bear" Fiona giggled, "I took some Tylenol before everyone showed up to party".

"Fiona" Clare's eyes widened, "You can't take painkillers and alcohol at the same time!".

"Oops" Fiona shrugged.

"Adam!" Clare cried and Adam handed his game controller to Dave and made his way over quickly. "She's your potential love interest forward slash almost girlfriend, you take care of her" she shoved Fiona into Adam's arms and walked off.

Just as Clare stepped out of the kitchen, Eli's arm snagged out from one of Fiona's armchairs and brought her into his lap. Clare giggled and leaned down to kiss him. Whenever she felt his lips against hers, she could almost forget everything. Like the fact that Dave, K.C and the other basketball guys were screaming loudly at each other because of a _game_. Like the fact that Jenna had suddenly taken up the space on K.C's lap and was continually glaring at Clare.

"Drew and Bianca just went into my bedroom" Eli said suddenly. "If you want anything out there, you have about twenty seconds before…" he raised his eyebrows.

"Well" Clare felt a smile grow on her lips. "At least someone's getting it in there".

"Clare" Eli gave Clare a look.

"Kidding" Clare gave him a quick kiss. "Kind of" she moved her legs to kiss him some more, "Fiona's completely drunk" - kiss - "If she throws up" - kiss - "Or if anyone litters" - kiss - "I'll make you" - kiss - "Clean everything up and-" Eli cut her off with a kiss of his own.

"Aw, aren't you two so adorable" Jenna's snide voice cooed from her place on K.C's lap. "You know Clare, just the other day in fact, I was thinking about what an odd pairing you and Eli were. And then something suddenly just came to me, and now I understand".

"Great. Glad you finally understand something" Clare muttered.

"Oh I do" Jenna fixed her and Eli with an unsettling smile that made everyone feel uneasy, "I understand _everything_".

**oOo**

Drew sighed and put his shirt back on. He glanced back to Bianca, who was lying backwards on Eli's bed, looking just as annoyed as Drew.

"God Drew, I said I was sorry" Bianca sat up. "I honestly didn't know my period was due".

"Whatever" Drew stood up and headed for Eli's door.

"Can you tell Jenna to bring me some painkillers?" Bianca asked as Drew left the room. The second Drew closed the door behind him, Bianca shot up from the bed and got on the floor, scanning under Eli's bed. When she saw nothing was there, she moved over to his table and opened his drawers, sifting through his journals and notebooks. She noticed a few boxes on the floor and walked over to them, opening them quickly. When Eli's door opened, she jumped up, startled but relaxed when it was just Jenna.

"It worked" Bianca smiled. "I told Drew my period had came just before we got naked. He stormed off".

"I noticed" Jenna smirked back, holding Tylenol in her hand. "He told me you needed these" she laughed, "Did you find anything yet?".

"I checked under his bed, in his drawers and now I'm looking through these boxes" Bianca replied.

"I'll check the wardrobe" Jenna walked over to the other side of the room, "Remember, it could be anywhere. Hidden in a book, slipped into an old envelope, taped under his mattress".

"Did you find out who emailed you yet?" Bianca asked.

"No, it's just signed 'From The Dare Overlord'" Jenna replied, "I tried tracing the IP address but it came from a computer inside Degrassi, so The Dare Overlord could be anyone at Degrassi - probably a Senior. The only thing we do know is that whoever The Dare Overlord is, they hate Clare Edwards as much as we do".

"Do you think The Dare Overlord is telling the truth?" Bianca asked, "Do you think what they said in the email was true? That Eli only went after Clare because of a dare?".

"It certainly makes more sense than whatever show they're putting on out there" Jenna shrugged. "The Dare Overlord's helpful suggestion that it might be hidden in Eli's stuff is the _only_ reason we're here, but nobody can know that. You didn't tell Drew anything did you?".

"Course not" Bianca moved onto another box. "I heard from Drew that Eli's losing his house next week so it makes sense he'd bring all of his stuff here, but why wouldn't he destroy the dare yet? Why wouldn't he destroy the evidence?".

"He's a little thing you didn't know about Eli" Jenna smiled to herself as she went through the junk in his wardrobe. "Eli's ex girlfriend is in a coma and before Eli came to Degrassi, he used to be a hoarder, he found it hard to let things go and my guess is, he really does love Clare and that he only kept the dare because he felt some… weird attachment to it".

"How do you know all of this?" Bianca frowned.

"Because when someone becomes part of my group, I learn everything I can about them" Jenna said like it should have been obvious. "And just because I want to crush Clare's stupid little face in the process doesn't mean that deep down I'm not also doing this to bring Eli back to us and help him realise what a horrible mistake he's making. He's completely ditched us ever since he met Clare three weeks ago, and if The Dare Overlord is right and they did dare Eli to sleep with Clare, then that's something I need to know".

"I used to think you were The Dare Overlord" Bianca said, mostly to herself.

Jenna felt a brimming laugh. "Don't be silly, B. If I want to bring someone down I don't need an anonymous penname and a bunch of pink and blue envelopes to do it".

"Wait, did you say 'blue envelope'? I think I remember seeing something-" Bianca's eyes widened. She turned back to a box she'd previously gone through and ruffled through it until she found the book on vintage cars she was looking for. She flipped to the back and revealed the blue envelope, tucked neatly away.

"It is true" Bianca whispered as Jenna ripped the envelope from the book and practically tore it open. She read the dare in front of her and slowly, her evil little face began to light up.

"Does that mean that the guys know about this also?" Bianca stood up, sweeping her hair over her shoulder.

"Maybe, but I doubt it" Jenna shoved the dare back inside the envelope and crammed it into her pocket. "Fix everything. Make sure he doesn't have to suspect anything" she turned back to wardrobe and tried to put everything back as Bianca did the same with the open boxes.

When they made sure the room was back the way it was, Bianca turned to Jenna and asked, "What are you gonna do now? Does it include breaking Clare Edwards's heart?".

"Oh Bianca, you know me so well" Jenna smirked. She headed towards Eli's door, "When I'm through with Clare Edwards and her stupid little romance with Eli, she'll never want to show her face at Degrassi High again".


	14. The Blowout Factor

**A/N: **Thank you for reviewing if you did! And in this one, the stumble before the fall.

Thoughts :)?

* * *

**DARE ME, NOT**

**Chapter Thirteen:**

"**The Blowout Factor"**

**oOo**

"Dave asked Sadie Rowland to bid on him for the Senior Charity Auction this Friday!".

Clare glanced up from her textbook to see Alli, dumping her bags on the table and taking a seat next to Clare. Clare let out a deep breath and tried not to feel annoyed. Alli had liked Eli's Facerange relationship status so she obviously knew they were going out, but she hadn't talked to Clare since last weekend when she phoned her. And thanks to Drew's little 'Housewarming party update status' a couple of days ago on his Facerange page, Alli - and everyone else - must know by now that Eli, Fiona and Clare were living together. And still nothing from Alli. No text, no phone call, no nothing.

Clare's life was changing drastically and all Alli wanted to talk about was Dave Turner asking Sadie Rowland to bid on him at the Senior Charity Auction? Clare had accepted Alli's flimsy and selfish nature quite a while ago - Alli had pretty much been a crap friend Clare's entire childhood but still, she was Clare's oldest friend, so Clare thought that must mean something. It was a Wednesday and for people who didn't know each other a month ago, Clare was surprised at how well Fiona, Eli and herself got on. Adam was over most nights, leaving after dinner but his face was a warm familiarity.

Clare couldn't wait until school ended so she could go home; her new home. The Dot had given Eli the day off so he could attend the roommate interviews Fiona had arranged. Clare wasn't exactly hopeful but she remained optimistic that they'd find someone young, like a student, and likable. That was the thing about not knowing who your roommate was. They could be anything for all you know. A terrorist. A Satanist. A serial killer. A psycho. A judgemental stalker with a secret dark past that involves little children's dolls and bits of plastic. Clare shuddered at the thought. Fiona's part-time work with Melanie the paralegal seemed to be going well and Clare felt a little understated that she was the only one of the roommates without a job.

Even though she knew she had that dare money for the rent coming up, she knew that wouldn't last forever. She had to earn money and she had to earn it now. She wondered how much money Roxanne the stripper from _Sticky Ricky's_ made but quickly shook that train of thought from her mind. She couldn't believe she'd even let that fanciful notion cross her head. But she did have to find work, soon. The only good thing she could take from that was that Winter Break was coming up soon, and everyone and everywhere would be looking for Christmas workers.

"Clare, are you even listening to me?" Alli snapped, jolting Clare from the inner workings of her busy mind.

"That's rich coming from you" Clare said before she could stop herself.

"Excuse me?" Alli gaped.

"Alli, I don't have time for this" Clare shook her head and stood up, gathering her textbooks. "In case you don't care, I have to go home and find another roommate to take up the last room in my new apartment, that my boyfriend also lives in. I'm not sure if you've noticed since all you seem to care about is your giant inflated ego, but I actually have important things going on in my life. Get over Dave Turner. He doesn't want you. And I met Sadie Rowland when everyone invited themselves to the Housewarming party; she's a nice girl and a whole lot more considerate than you".

Alli's face dropped like a melon crashing to earth from a high distance. Clare didn't wait for a response, she turned and walked out of the library, passing a poster for the Senior Charity Auction. Jenna had taken it on herself to enroll every guy into it that she knew - including Eli. It wasn't that big of a deal though, Clare had been saving up her pocket money before she'd moved out of her mom's house and now she knew exactly what she was going to spend it on. Eli was hers and she wasn't going to let someone steal him from her - even if it was just for an innocent night.

Clare ignored a text message from her mother asking if she'd be joining her for Christmas dinner in two weeks time. She hadn't been planning on spending Christmas with Helen, but that was the second time her mom had asked about it. Fiona had already started organising Christmas for them and Adam had even promised he'd come over after his family Christmas Lunch and have Christmas dinner with them. Clare didn't want to hurt her mom, but Helen had Glen and Jake - Eli's dad would be gone and Fiona's family was scattered all over. She had to find a way to tell her mom soon though.

As Clare carried down the hallway, she noticed Jenna and Bianca standing by their lockers, smirking at her. Clare ignored them and continued on, glancing to her right to see Fitz, leaning against his locker, looking at her with unreadable eyes. Clare suppressed a chill. She swallowed, suddenly feeling very insecure and self conscious. She knew they were all looking at her and she tried not to care. Just as she turned the corner, she noticed Imogen standing, with her folded arms and her hands holding a bunch of leaflets, smiling coldly. For some reason, this suddenly felt like enemy territory rather than an almost empty school hallway.

Imogen stepped towards her and handed Clare one of her leaflets. "Ready to die?" she asked politely.

"Excuse me?" Clare gaped.

"My one woman play at city hall" Imogen explained, pointing to the leaflet. "It's called 'Ready to Die'. You should come see it this weekend, I think you can relate".

Clare glanced behind her nervously to find Bianca, Jenna and Fitz all watching her from their different places. Clare turned back to Imogen and folded the leaflet up. "Sounds good" she couldn't help but feel nauseated for some reason.

"Something wrong, Clare?" Imogen tilted her head condescendingly and Clare suddenly felt like every word, every moment, every tick was rehearsed. Imogen's whole being was fucking rehearsed. She was one of those twisted people Clare wouldn't want to be alone with.

"No" Clare swallowed. "I should get to class".

"Well enjoy your day" Imogen moved aside for Clare to pass. "You never know what the future might bring. One of these days could be your last" the chipper way she said it was like she was _hopeful_. Clare suppressed another shiver and carried on. She didn't feel safe until the bell rang and everyone crowded the halls again.

And even then, as she walked towards her next class, she still didn't feel right.

**oOo**

Clare rushed up the stairs to her apartment and burst through Wilfred the door, rambling as she did "Sorry, I'm late, my bus broke down halfway home and then a ladder almost fell on me. I've had the worst luck today" she dumped her jacket and bag on the floor and shut the door behind her without looking up, "Bumped into creepy Imogen Moreno in the hallway, God that girl just gives me the-".

"Clare" Fiona cut her off and Clare whipped her head round to see Imogen Moreno, sitting on the couch opposite Eli and Fiona. Adam was sitting in the kitchen, munching on pizza. The whole room buzzed with tension and awkwardness. Imogen smiled to herself, Clare paled, Fiona looked annoyed, Eli looked ready to laugh and Adam just looked amused.

"Clare, Imogen is one of our roommate interviews" Fiona said awkwardly.

Clare cleared her throat and took a deep breath, walking over to the couch where she settled down beside Eli. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her legs up over his lap. Fiona made an roll eye expression and noticed that Adam was making the same one. Imogen drew her lips into a thin angry line.

"Right, anyway" Fiona tried to get the interview back on track. She had a notebook and pen in her hands. "Now that everyone's here. Let's just recap what we went over" she turned to Clare, "Imogen's parents are moving to Indiana to look after her sick grandmother and Imogen would only need a room for the rest of her Senior year, then she intends to get student accommodation next year when she leaves for college".

"What about Toby?" Clare suddenly asked.

"Sorry?" Imogen frowned.

Clare turned to Adam and he was giving her the exact same look she was giving him. Just before Clare had done her _Sticky Ricky's_ dare, Imogen had told Adam and her about her missing cat, named Toby and that she blamed the Dare Overlord for taking him away from not doing her dare. Clare thought it was a load of bull then and she still thought it was now.

"Your cat" Adam spoke up. "Remember? The one that went _missing_?".

"Oh we found him" Imogen waved it off dismissively, "He's going to Indiana with my parents. He'll love it there".

"Likes cats" Fiona smiled as she scribbled down on her notebook. "That's a good thing".

"Good" Imogen smiled back and Clare wanted to vomit. Why was Fiona being so nice to Imogen? There was no way Clare was going to let Imogen Moreno move in with them. Over her dead body.

"Okay, well we'll all discuss and get back to you as soon as possible" Fiona said as she walked Imogen over to the front door. Clare sighed with relief the second Imogen was gone from the apartment. Fiona turned around, grinning. "I found we've found our roommate".

"No!" Adam, Eli and Clare cried simultaneously.

"What?" Fiona cried, "Why? And Adam, you don't get a vote".

"I should" Adam made a face.

"Look, reasons don't have anything to do with it" Clare sighed, "We all each get a veto and if we don't all agree then it won't go ahead".

"Screw democracy, I want majority" Fiona folded her arms stubbornly.

"Fine. Eli and I said no, so it's still two against one" Clare said a little more coldly than she meant.

"Actually three against one" Adam added.

"What's wrong with Imogen?" Fiona frowned, "She seems really nice, Clare and she even kept her mouth shut when you came in here and basically tore into her, while she was there! She goes to our school, she's got a job and she's our age. This is perfect".

"Imogen creeps me out" Clare admitted, "I'm not sorry she heard me earlier, I really don't like her. And that cat story? Adam, back me up. Didn't her face look as blank as a white canvas when we mentioned Toby, her supposed missing cat?".

"That was a little odd" Adam agreed.

"Look, if my say means anything, I agree with Clare and Adam" Eli spoke up. "There is something weird about Imogen, she's unsettling, she stares too much, she smiles too much, her voice goes all high pitched and squeaky when she's trying to be funny".

"So you don't like her because she tries to be liked by crappy judgemental people?" Fiona narrowed her eyes. "Wow, that is truly pathetic, coming from you".

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Eli barked.

"You _know _what it means" Fiona snapped back, "You act like you're all tortured and whatever but you're still friends with those stupid Populars".

Clare got off of Eli, angry. "Fiona, you have no idea what you're talking about. Eli has gone through some stuff that a rich spoiled girl like yourself wouldn't understand".

"And you - _Saint Clare _- you do understand?" Fiona sneered.

"Can we all just stop fighting?" Adam interjected suddenly, "Another potential roommate is due by any minute-".

"Shut up!" Clare, Eli and Fiona all cried in unison. Adam pulled a face and went back to his pizza.

"I may be a 'saint', Fiona" Clare began, "But at least I don't need money to make me happy".

"Oh no that's right, you just need a boyfriend and a new apartment to make you feel like you're not being smothered, oh yeah you're so much better than me!" Fiona cried back.

"Now I'm stuck up as well as naïve?" Clare snapped "What does Adam even see in you?".

"Don't worry Clare I'm sure he sees more than dollar signs!" Fiona shrieked back.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Adam cried from the kitchen.

"I'm insulting Clare, not you" Fiona told him bluntly.

"Oh, now Adam's stupid as well?" Clare laughed bitterly. "God, you just know everything don't you?".

"Well I certainly know more than you" Fiona barked.

"What's that? How to be a slut?" Clare snapped.

"Well at least the guys I slut up with actually _want _to have sex with me!" Fiona cried back.

Clare lunged for Fiona and Eli jumped up from the couch and grabbed her by the waist to pull her back.

"Fiona, that was too far" Eli said with a glare.

Clare shoved Eli's grip from her waist and spun around to him. "Why don't you just cut the crap Eli and admit that you don't want to have sex with me!".

"Wait, what-" Adam choked on his pizza. "Clare, if you've had sex with-".

"Don't worry, Adam, Eli wouldn't touch me from the waist down apparently" Clare snapped.

"For Godsake, Clare!" Eli screamed, "How many times are we going to have this conversation? You're not ready!".

"Seconded!" Adam cried.

"Bullshit!" Clare shrieked, "I told you I was! I even got a condom from Fiona, and you still said no!".

"Wait, _what_?" Adam barked. He spun on his heel to face Fiona. "You knew Clare was about to have sex with Eli and instead of telling me you gave her a fucking condom?".

"What are you, Adam, her father?" Fiona shook her head judgementally. "It's not _my _fault Clare came to _me _instead of coming to _you_. You always judge everything she does!".

"Seconded!" Clare screamed.

"Not true!" Adam cried back, "None of you know Clare like I do. We've been best friends since grade 9! She's not emotionally or mentally ready for sex".

"Yes she is!" Fiona balled her fists, "Eli just doesn't want to have sex with her!".

"Fiona, you don't know shit about mine and Clare's relationship!" Eli glared at her.

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here!" Clare felt so angry she wanted to hit someone.

"Clare" Adam narrowed his eyes, "You should have come to me-".

"Why?" Clare laughed angrily, "Because you would have actually listened to me? You made me feel so shit last week when I told you about the tattoos Eli and I got! You always judge everything I do! And no offence, Adam but half the sordid stuff I do is too protect you!" it was out of her mouth before she could even stop herself.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Adam hissed heatedly.

"Trust me, you _don't_ want to know" Clare hissed back.

"No Saint Clare, tell us!" Fiona threw her hands up. "Shock us with your 'wild sordid' story about protecting your friends! Because all I see is you trying to keep Imogen away from Eli! Isn't that why you don't want her here? Because you feel threatened that Eli will want to sleep with her but not you?".

"Why the hell are you so pro-Imogen?" Clare shook her head, "Why don't you go make out with your newest best friend?".

"Maybe I will!" Fiona screamed back.

"I'm not done talking about your earlier comment" Adam told Clare with force. "Explain yourself".

"Adam, why don't you just back off" Eli warned him threateningly.

"Why don't you just go dig another grave Emo boy?" Adam snapped.

"Stop it!" Clare cried, "Everybody just stop!".

There was a horrible silence in the room as everybody's words lingered in the air.

Clare let out a deep breath and turned to Adam. "I lied to you. The dare that I got during Dare Week, it wasn't to kiss Ms Dawes. It was to dance in a strip club, which I did".

"What?" Adam's eyes widened.

"And they said if I didn't, then they would tell everyone about Gracie" Clare whispered, wrapping her arms around her body.

"Who's Gracie?" Eli frowned.

"I'm Gracie, or I used to be" Adam said in a weak breath of air "I was born a boy in a girl's body" he glanced to Fiona. "I think it's time you admit why you're so into me, Fiona".

Fiona frowned slightly, opening her mouth.

"It's because I have a girl's body" Adam continued. "You think you can have the best of both worlds; go out with a guy and don't upset the status quo and still have a girl's body. I've been lying to myself ever since you found out I used to be Gracie. I thought you were ready to accept me but now I know, after seeing the way you look at Imogen, it's not me you accept. You're a lesbian, Fiona".

Clare and Eli both looked shocked as Fiona rubbed her forehead with the palm of her hand stressfully.

"And I think you may have an alcohol problem" Adam shrugged slightly.

There was another awkward silence in the room. Clare let out a deep breath. Adam knew the truth about the dare, Eli knew the truth about Adam and Fiona finally knew the truth about herself. Honestly, Clare hadn't expected any of this to come out - especially the Fiona thing - but somehow it had and they all had to deal with the consequences.

The doorbell went and Clare tried to compose herself as she walked over to answer it. It was a male clown, caked in face paint, wearing a multicoloured Afro wig, big red clown feet and a spotty clown outfit. "Hi, I'm Kenneth. I'm here for roommate interview" his smile was making Clare feel even sadder.

"Veto" Clare whispered.

"Veto" Fiona and Eli agreed at the same time.

"Sorry Kenneth" Clare said sadly, "None of us are in a 'clowny' mood right now" she shut the door on Kenneth and turned back to the stony atmosphere in the living room.

"I think I'm gonna go" Adam wiped his palms nervously against his jeans.

"Adam" Clare started, tears surfacing in her eyes. "Please don't-".

"It's fine, Clare. Really" Adam shook his head, "I think we all just need space" he headed towards the front door, passed Clare without meeting her gaze and left. Fiona sharply turned and walked out of the living room, down the hall and towards her bedroom.

"Clare" Eli let out a breath.

"Adam's right" Clare swallowed dryly. "We all just need space right now" she walked down the hallway and into her own room, closing the door behind her. She walked over to her window, slid the frame up and let the cold fresh air slither into her room. Then she sunk into her bed and let tears fall down her cheeks. For the first time since meeting Eli, she felt truly, truly alone. She felt alienated, from everyone, from Eli, from Fiona, from Adam, from Alli, from her parents, from the sister she hadn't seen in forever.

She knew it was probably just the fight, but something else just didn't sit right in the pit of her gut.

**oOo**

_It was dark and she was wandering through the halls of Degrassi, dressed in nothing but a white nightgown. Her bare feet padded down the echoing corridor and she was breathless. Something was coming for her. She had to-_

_Clare suddenly broke into a run, aware that something was behind her, sniping at her heels. She was starting to cry. Her nightgown was being ripped by something invisible and she almost tripped over her own feet, trying to get round the next corner._

_When the rounded the corner, she stopped abruptly, taken aback by the garden in front of her - once a school corridor now a garden. Everything was so beautiful. Clare stopped, wonderstruck and childlike as she enjoyed the song of the birds, the feel of the butterflies against her arm and the softness of the grass as it grazed her feet._

"_Clare run"._

_Clare turned, scared again by the voice that was talking to her. She darted through the garden until she reached the other side: her English classroom. It was empty and unwelcoming and Clare could vaguely make out a figure standing by the window. She took a step forwards and smiled in relief when she realised who it was._

"_Eli!" Clare made her way through the classroom of tables and chairs and reached out to touch him. Her soft hand caressed his back but her happy face soon turned to horror when Eli's body started to crumble into ash. She cried out in heartache and fell to her knees, her fingers trying desperately to pick up the fallen ash._

"_You're a fool, Clare" the bodiless voice was there again. "Can't you see what's happening? Can't you see what's coming for you?"._

"_I can't" Clare shook her head, sobbing, "I can't see what's coming for me. What is it?" she stood up, stumbling over her own feet. "Is it death? Am I going to die?". She watched with horror and shock as it suddenly began to snow around her. The cold prickled her skin and she was covered in beautiful soft white snowdrops. It should have be peaceful but it felt like a warning._

_The voice chuckled. "It's much worse than death, Clare"._

_Clare held her breath as she finally realised. "Loss" she whispered._

"_That's right" the voice cooed at her, "You're going to lose-"._

"Eli!" Clare woke from her dream, jerking forwards. She glanced around her dark room and realised with relief she'd only been dreaming. But that didn't stop tears shrieking down her cheeks or stop her chest panting. She shivered and looked over to find she'd slept with the window open. It was freezing. She got out of bed, pushing tears away from her face and shut her window over.

She swallowed, hesitated for a moment and checked her cell. It was just after 9PM. She'd slept five hours. She drew her curtains, put on her bedside lamp and changed into a pair of fluffy pyjamas. She slipped out of her bedroom, seeing that Fiona and Eli's doors were still shut. She walked on down the hallway and noticed a dirty plate on the kitchen counter. Eli or Fiona had eaten dinner. She walked into the empty kitchen and got herself a glass of water, trying to convince herself the horrible dream she had meant nothing.

She glanced back into the living room and remembered their earlier fight. She couldn't believe how suddenly their fight had escalated. One minute Fiona was getting defensive over Imogen and suddenly everyone was attacking each other. She hadn't seen any signs of Fiona's lesbianism but she had been so caught up in her own life she probably didn't see what she didn't pay attention to.

She drifted into the living room, running her fingers over the couches and staring at the empty spaces. She walked over to the living room window and glanced down into the dark street, smiling at the frosty Winter night. She leant against the window and let out a deep breath. She knew she had to start growing up. She couldn't avoid her best friend, her roommates or her boyfriend forever whenever they had a fight. They'd probably fight again and that would probably seem like the end of the world too.

Clare walked back into the kitchen with determination, and retrieved two balloons from the cupboard. She filled them both up with water and tied the ends, walking towards Fiona's bedroom with the two water balloons. She walked in, without knocking and found Fiona sitting on her bed doing homework.

"Clare" Fiona said, annoyed. "What are you doing?".

"Stand up" Clare said simply.

Fiona sighed and got up, shrugging. "Now what?".

"Here" Clare handed her one water balloon. "We each get to throw a water balloon at each other. So get all your anger out now because when this is done, we're going back to how things used to be".

Fiona shifted nervously, "So you don't hate me? Or feel weird around me because of what Adam said?".

"You mean do I feel weird because you're a lesbian? Of course not" Clare felt sad Fiona would even have to ask that. "And of course I don't hate you. We both said awful things but that's friendship for you, whether we meant the things we said or not doesn't matter, if we can all still be friends despite these things, that's what true friendship is. Telling it how is it, that's true friendship. Being a bitch and still having people love you, that's true friendship. Being around when things get hard, that's true friendship. And like it or not, you're the only girlfriend I have in my life. I have no other friends apart from Adam and Eli and despite our fight, I like having you in my life. So we're going to get through this and I'm not going to abandon you".

"You aren't?" Fiona felt tears surface in her eyes.

"Course not" Clare felt her own tears surface. "You guys are my family".

Fiona dropped the water balloon in her hands and reached forwards to hug Clare. Clare dropped her own water balloon and it smashed against the ground next to Fiona's.

"We should dry that water before the dampness attracts bugs" Clare whispered emotionally as she hugged Fiona.

Fiona laughed, "It's weird crap like that that makes me love you".

Clare laughed back. She pulled back. "Seriously, we have to dry that".

"Have you spoken to Eli?" Fiona asked.

Clare shook her head.

"Then I'll dry this and you go talk to Eli" Fiona pushed Clare out of her doorway.

"But-" Clare began.

"Clare, I was talking shit" Fiona said apologetically. "Eli does love you, he does want to have sex with you. Anyone can see it in his eyes when he looks at you but maybe… Maybe he has a point, maybe what Adam said was right. Maybe you think you're ready because you've moved in with us and you've left your house and you're doing better than anyone thought you could and maybe that's just made you think you're ready for sex, but trust me, you don't want a bad first time. They stay with you forever".

"Does _everyone _have a bad first time?" Clare wondered aloud.

"Usually, it's like an unwritten rule" Fiona shrugged. "But if anyone can break that, I'm sure it's Clare Edwards".

Clare smiled back. "I just… I don't know, Fiona. He's keeping something from me, I can tell. And if he doesn't tell me soon or let me in, then I don't know if I'll be able to trust him".

"It's Eli" Fiona said like it should be obvious. "You'll always be able to trust him, no matter what happens" she smiled again, "Now go make up with your man. Is it too late to call Adam?".

"No" Clare said softly, "It's never too late" she turned and headed down towards Eli's room, making sure she knocked first. When she didn't hear anything back, she opened the door anyway and slipped inside. Eli was asleep in his bed, on his side. Clare felt butterflies in her stomach at the sight of him, sleeping. He looked so pure and carefree when he slept. Clare moved towards him and carefully slipped into bed next to him. Almost like he subconsciously felt her presence, his arms reached out and pressed their fronts together as Clare buried her head in his chest and let his scent intoxicate her.

"I love you" Clare whispered, gripping him just as tightly. "Please don't ever leave me".

Eli tightened his arms around her in his sleep and let out a soft sigh.

**oOo**

"Adam" Clare spotted Adam in the hallway. She dodged past Principal Simpson carefully and made her way through the other students, reaching Adam where he was standing next to his locker.

"Clare" Adam greeted her awkwardly.

"Adam" Clare's face softened. "I'm sorry I lied to you about the dare, but I only did it to protect you, you mean everything to me, you're like the parental figure I hate listening to but you're usually always right. You just hurt me, when you said I was moving too fast and maybe you're right but your opinion means everything to me, don't you get that? You're my family".

Adam slowly smiled and reached out to hug Clare. "I'm sorry if you think I'm too judgmental sometimes. I just never want you to get hurt".

"I know" Clare pulled back. "But I'm doing it on my own, I moved out and I'm still here, I'm still going to school, I'm still standing. I know I can do this, I just need my best friend not to second guess me".

"I never would" Adam shook his head, wrapping his arm around Clare's shoulder. "And Clare, I know you think you were protecting me but I would never ask you to degrade yourself just to keep my secret a secret. You're way more important but thank you, I can't tell you how much I love you" He paused, "So, how was last night after I left?".

"Fiona and I made up last night and Eli and I made up this morning" Clare replied, sighing. "I know that not everything can be perfect all the time and it won't be, it'll be hard most of the time, but we can't get into fights and resent each other. We're all we've got".

"I agree" Adam nodded, "I'll talk to Eli and Fiona today at lunch" as they were walking down the hallway, they passed two posters for Imogen's 'Ready to Die' play and the Senior Charity Auction. "So, are you going to the Senior Charity Auction tomorrow?" Adam asked, "Ms Dawes asked me to set up a juice stand".

"I'll definitely be there" Clare replied, nodding. "I'll always be there" she gave Adam a smile.

"Oh don't jinx anything, Edwards" Adam joked.

"Nah, we'll always be okay" Clare let out a deep breath, "Everything will always work itself out" she paused, "Don't you agree?".


	15. The Born To Die Predicament

**A/N: **Omg, I am so sorry for not updating. I hate myself. But this story will get finished, it has to, baby! I've not been doing great, but enough about me, please review? Don't hate me!

Peace.

* * *

**DARE ME, NOT**

**Chapter Fourteen:**

"**The Born To Die Predicament"**

**oOo**

"Personally I don't think Ms Dawes is in her right mind today" Fiona said to the lunch table consisting of Adam, Clare and Eli. "I walked into the drama department to ask about that new upcoming play and she started reciting bits of Shakespeare and asking me to finish them. It was just weird and then she ate one of those bear claw cakes in one go" Fiona paused for breath, "I mean I know I can go through Jaffa cakes like air when I'm on my period but I'm not even sure she's on her period. And she's changed her hair, have you noticed? It makes her look younger. I don't know, I think she's a lesbian, it's my gaydar, I can sense it like a mile off".

"She's definitely pulling off a different look" Adam agreed thoughtfully. "I don't know, I think she looks nice".

"I have no opinion on this ridiculously boring story and will now redirect the conversation on something worth talking about" Eli said, expression one of deadpan. He turned to Clare, "There's this Gothic Tales Convention coming up soon and during the Winter Break, I was wondering if you wanted to go with me. We could take Morty, rent a cheap motel room and maybe you could even submit one of your short stories. It only lasts a Weekend".

"That sounds amazing" Clare smiled slowly. "We should definitely go. A night alone could be interesting" she reached under the table and intertwined their fingers together. When she had woken up in Eli's arms yesterday morning, he had already been awake, just staring at her. At first she felt her cheeks flush and then she noticed the glint in his eyes. She'd mumbled a 'good morning' and he had taken her lips possessively and kissed her until she was breathless.

They didn't talk about their fight, because Clare knew what she wanted and Eli knew what he thought Clare needed. Eli brought their joined hands over to rest on his knee where he started smoothing his thumb over the back of Clare's hand. Clare smiled softly, feeling butterflies at his touch. She wondered briefly how it was possible to love someone as much as she loved Eli. More than just wanting to feel him and be with him, she wanted to show him that she knew what their relationship was. She wanted him to know that she trusted him with her body, with her everything. Maybe an upcoming trip to the Gothic Tales Convention would be the perfect time for that.

"Oh don't worry about us" Adam shrugged playfully motioning to Fiona and himself, "We'll find plans that don't exclude others".

Clare and Eli laughed and they both shared a look.

"I can't wait until it's the weekend" Fiona rubbed the back of her neck, "As grateful as I am for that job opportunity Clare, I might have to find something somewhere else. Melanie is just tiresome, she's worse than me. It's ridiculous".

"And that's exactly why I didn't take the job" Clare gave her a pointed look. "But the money's great, Fiona. So don't quit it unless you definitely have another job lined up, I keep trying to find a job and no one's hiring. By any means this rate I might actually have to work the streets".

"Not a chance in hell" Eli cocked his head to the side. "I'll help you look".

"I know freedom is supposed to be liberating or whatever" Adam began, "But I love the fact that I have two people who wash my clothes and buy me food and take me places. I don't have to work for anything".

"That won't last forever" Fiona smirked, "Trust me, I know. The sooner you get independence when you're a teenager, the easier it'll be to leave home when you actually need to. It won't seem like such a jump into the vast sea, it'll be more like a playful swim in the shallow end".

"Cute metaphor" Adam shot her a grin, "But I don't know. I don't think it's like that at all. Once I go to college, I'll still be sheltered, sort of. I won't need to think about true independence until I graduate. That gives me a good eight years to enjoy it until I really need to worry".

"You think weirdly" Eli observed.

"_You _think weirdly" Adam countered back, smirking slightly.

"I second that" Fiona interrupted them. "I still can't believe you of all people are doing that stupid Senior Charity Auction thing tonight. It's ridiculous".

"Everything's ridiculous with you isn't it?" Clare commented lightly.

"Yes" Fiona nodded.

"I'm doing it for a good cause Fiona" Eli said suddenly, "Most of the Seniors have pitched in and helped organise it. I haven't, so if I can do something - for Charity, then fine, I'll do it. Sav and Anya put a lot of work into it".

"I didn't know Sav and Anya were a part of it" Adam shrugged.

"They're hosting" Clare added.

"And they did other things to raise money; bake sales, garage sales, sponsored runs. They did a lot of good things and it's not even been six months into the year yet. They make us all look bad" Eli said.

"What's with the sudden conscience trip, Dr Doom?" Fiona asked mockingly.

"I have a Saint who shows me the light" Eli said as he squeezed Clare's hand slightly.

"Yeah but I still advised him against this act of Charity" Clare shrugged quaintly. "I don't want anyone else going home with my boyfriend".

"All in the name of charity, Blue Eyes" Eli smirked.

"Your PDA's kill us every time" Adam said in a monotone.

"What, you mean this PDA?" Eli grabbed Clare's jaw and brought their lips together. Their hands squeezed against each other as Eli's tongue slipped inside Clare's mouth and engulfed her lips in his. All the while they were kissing, Adam and Fiona were making overly dramatic puking noises and even throwing their chips at them. Eli and Clare broke apart, laughing. "Thank you" Eli said as he picked up a chip that had fallen on his lunch trap and ate it.

"Rude" Clare said pointedly to Fiona and Adam. She turned to Eli, "Is the Dot okay with giving you another day off for this Charity Auction?".

"I lied and told them I was vomiting this morning and couldn't come in" Eli said, wondering how Clare would react.

"Oh, that's smart" Fiona nodded back, "That means he still gets paid".

"You better be careful they don't fire you" Clare whispered as she captured Eli's lips again.

"I know. Last time I fake a sickie ever" Eli murmured back, drunk in her atmosphere and the sweet taste of her lips.

"Lucky for you" Fiona grumbled, "I still have to go to work today. I might be a bit late to this stupid Auction or whatever".

"And I don't work, because I don't need to" Adam shrugged.

"Thank you for pointing that out" Fiona rolled her eyes. "It's nice for some".

"Fiona, you had more wealth in your teenage years than some people will ever have in their entire lives" Adam replied, "Appreciate it and if you work hard, you'll probably get that life back".

"Thank you Dr Phil" Fiona mocked him.

"I'm here till Monday, tell your friends" Adam added playfully. The bell for end of lunch suddenly rang out and they all began to gather their things and bags.

"Clare, I'll meet you and Eli here at 7PM tonight?" Adam asked suddenly.

"Sure" Clare nodded. "Fiona text us when you get out of work, I'll tell you where we are". Fiona nodded back as Eli wrapped his arm around Clare's shoulder and pulled her into him.

"I will love you till the end of time" Eli beamed down at Clare.

"Infinity times infinity" Clare beamed back, reaching out to show him the inside of her left wrist. He held up the inside of his right wrist. Their tattoos had healed and the scabs were no longer there. The ink was firm and smooth on their skin. Double Infinity. Through the darkness and blackness of space and time, Double Infinity could survive everything. It was, the only thing left. Everything else could be ripped away; life and light, air, and the sun and the moon but the notion of an idea, the notion of love, of eternity, would never die.

As they walked hand in hand towards the school, Clare was aware she was being watched. As she walked in through the hallway, she noticed Jenna and Bianca, watching her with a horrible smirk. She ignored their gaze and continued on. They turned a corner, heading towards Ms Dawes's classroom. The sight of Fitz coming out of their English class gave her chills. He glanced at her, like he was staring straight through her. Eli's hand tightened on her at the sight of him. He passed them and Clare felt everything slow down.

As they passed the water cooler, the crouching figure getting a drink stood up and revealed herself to be Imogen. Imogen turned, catlike and crazy, and smiled at Clare like she was a piece of meat ready to be cooked. Eli seemed oblivious but Clare knew the stare. Just before they entered Ms Dawes's classroom, Clare turned and watched Imogen walk away, swinging her hips intentionally.

And then Eli jerked her from her reverie and pulled her into their English classroom.

**oOo**

"I am actually impressed" Clare said as she, Eli and Adam entered the school. It was just after 7PM and the normal appearance of the school in the dark was something Clare wasn't used to. Inside, decorations hung in every corridor and fairy lights lit their path. The school looked so different, at night, decorated and light like a Christmas Tree. It had a slight Christmas theme to it, because Winter Break was coming up. Eli and Clare held hands as they walked down the hallway with Adam.

All were dressed formally; Eli was wearing his best clothes and Adam was wearing a beige blazer and smart trousers. Clare was wearing a red polka dot dress with black tights and her denim jacket. She had put on a bit more make up than usual and Eli couldn't help but stare at her red lips every time he looked at her face. Clare knew Eli would have to go backstage in a bit because he was part of the auction along with the other Seniors.

They headed towards the main hall where the stage was. The place was already packed and crammed with formally dressed students and Clare took in the sight. The atmosphere buzzed with electricity and Clare found she was smiling to herself idly. On the stage wall was a large projection screen. To the right of the stage was a little podium stand where the hosts would stand be.

The middle of the stage had converted into a small runway where the Seniors could walk onto. It was mostly dark inside the hall with a flashing strobe light darting around the room. It wasn't as Christmassy in there as it was out in the hallway. Eli and Clare walked over to the juice stand as Adam began making small with Connor and Wesley.

Clare glanced over and saw Alli, having a conversation with Drew. She sighed to herself, remembering their fight the other day. It was wrong to blame Alli for everything in one go but Clare remembered the feeling of just snapping and not being able to take anymore. Alli was monumentally selfish but that didn't mean their entire friendship was worth throwing away because it wasn't.

It did mean something to Clare and Clare knew it meant something to Alli too. She wrapped her arm around Eli's waist and pulled him into her as he picked up two glasses of non alcoholic punch. The music in the background started to get louder and Clare put their drinks down, pulling Eli into the main dance floor where people had started to dance to. Eli laughed and swayed with her, occasionally spinning her round and round.

Halfway through their dancing, they were interrupted by a flustered looking Anya. "Eli!" she grabbed his arm. "We need you backstage! And you might have to lose your shirt".

Just as Eli was replying, he felt his phone vibrate and he fumbled in his pockets to pull it out. "I'll be right there" he assured Anya as he gestured to Clare that was going out into the corridor to take the phone call. Once he was out in the silent corridor, he put the phone to his ear. "Hello?".

"_Eli. It's Natalie"._

"Natalie?" Eli felt his mouth go dry. "What-".

"_Something happened today. There was abnormal activity in her brain this afternoon, it's been happening for weeks and every time it gets more active. It's progressed so much that the Doctor thinks the next time this happens, her brain will react or shut down. Eli, she could either die, or wake up"._

"Oh my god" Eli leant against the lockers. Julia's sister Natalie was actually calling him? She sounded so different from last time he'd spoken to her. "Oh my- I don't-".

"_Look, you know what I think of you but my mom thinks you deserve to see her, if you want. Like I said, we don't know what's going to happen, she could wake up, or she could die, Eli"._

His brain fizzled with confusion. "Natalie, I'm needed on the-… on the…" he cleared his throat, trying to get his thoughts in order. "I can't leave. I'm so sorry but I can't. I want to see her, but-".

"_I get it, Eli. It's been over a year I know. You've moved on"._

Eli grabbed the back of his head. "Natalie, that's not fair. It's different-".

"_I don't know what you want me to say Eli but I didn't call you to argue. I phoned you because I know Julia would have wanted you to know what was going on. The next time I phone you Eli, she'll either be dead or alive. I hope whatever you're doing now is more important than life or death"._

The line went dead and Eli sank his back against the lockers fully. What was he going to do? If Julia died, he'd never get the chance to say goodbye but if she lived… He could see her whenever she had enough energy. Why was this happening right now for the love of God? Why was this happening when everything seemed to be going great?

"Goldsworthy" a voice jolted him from his thoughts. Eli cocked his head round and saw Fitz, walking down the corridor towards him. "You look like you've seen a Ghost" Fitz added, smirking coldly.

"You could say that" Eli whispered. He glanced over to Fitz, "I really don't have the energy for this Fitz. Can you come back and give me your daily dose of hell some other time?".

Fitz chuckled at a private joke that Eli wouldn't understand. "Sure thing, Goldsworthy. I'll make an appointment" he raised his eyebrows up at him, shot him a narrowed look and continued down the hallway, turning the corner.

Eli composed his breathing and went back into the main hall, the music hitting his eardrums again. Clare was dancing with Adam and Fiona who had suddenly appeared. She must have gotten in through the back entrance, Eli noted bizarrely. Why the hell was he thinking about how Fiona got into the main hall? He had other things to worry about, like the fact that his ex girlfriend was either going to be very dead or very awake, very soon.

"Eli, come on!" Anya jerked his arm suddenly, "All the auctionees are back stage already!". He didn't even have the energy to tell her that 'auctionees' wasn't a word in the English Dictionary.

"I can't do it, Anya" Eli shook his head, "Sorry" he swallowed and continued on through the crowd, reaching Clare and Adam.

Clare glanced to her boyfriend and suddenly frowned, "Eli, what's wrong?".

Eli shook his head and leaned down for a hug. Clare hugged him back, confused and worried. They stayed like that until the music was lowered and Anya and Sav took to the little podium stand.

"What's up Degrassi?" Sav cried into his hand held mic. "I'm Sav and this is Anya! Let's get this auction started!".

"Big thank you to everyone who volunteered to help or donate. Principal Simpson, you rock!" Anya added as bouncy music started back up.

"Eli?" Clare questioned him but the music drowned her out. She was almost beginning to panic.

"I'm going to get some drinks" Eli said loudly into her ear, pulling away and disappearing over to the juice stand. Clare frowned as she watched him go but turned back to Adam and Fiona.

"First up we have Owen!" Sav cried as Owen suddenly appeared, strutting on the runway like he was born to be worshipped.

"Owen is one of Degrassi's most loved basketball players" Anya added enthusiastically, "He likes soda and pizza, dislikes rainy days and horror films. When asked on his perfect date he said a sunny day at the beach and a cool drink as he sun-tanned".

"What say you, ladies and guys?" Sav said, "Shall we start the bid at £20 for a piece of the clearly overconfident Owen?".

As everyone started bidding, Owen worked the crowd and Clare couldn't help but give out a little chuckle. She wondered where Eli was and why he wasn't back stage. It definitely had something to do with that phone call he got before he left. Was everything okay? Was it his dad? Was he drunk again? Clare looked over the crowd, trying to see Eli. He was standing over by the juice stand, staring down at his phone. What the hell was going on?

Her attention was drawn back to the stage as the music was suddenly cut. Everyone made a disappointed noise and Sav and Anya frowned, looking at each other. The large projection screen on the stage wall was suddenly rebooted and a video began to play.

"Hi Degrassi Bitches, it's your Queen B here" Jenna's face was suddenly on the large projection screen, talking to everyone.

"And I'm just B" Bianca said as she walked into the shot next to Jenna. "For Bianca" she added lamely and Jenna let out a little exasperated sigh.

"Sorry to interrupt the Auction but we have a little announcement to make" Jenna carried on, her tone cruel and her smirk cold.

"Degrassi's newest freak show Eli Goldsworthy and Clare Edwards aren't as in love as they seem" Bianca sneered.

Clare felt her blood run cold and her throat tighten. She glanced round to see Eli, stricken and frozen in panic as his eyes stayed firmly on the video on the projection screen. What the hell was going on? Why the hell was Jenna and Bianca on the projection screen, mocking her and Eli?

"Clare Edwards likes to live in the clouds, with God and I'm not judging her but maybe if her mother had taught her how to get a man in the first place then she wouldn't be the victim of a cruel horrible little prank" Jenna laughed heartlessly. "That's right Clare-bear. Eli Goldsworthy only went after you for a dare" she winced mockingly. "Oops. I know it hurts now but don't fret, I'm sure if you prayed to God, he'd take away the humiliation and regret you feel right now".

Clare gasped and suddenly her heart was beating so fast her hands felt numb. She felt someone holding her up. It was Adam. Did she collapse or stumble? She couldn't believe what was-

"Someone cut the damn cord!" Anya screamed helplessly.

"And if you don't believe us Degrassi then take a look at this little baby" Bianca pouted. The video cut from her and Jenna to a picture. A picture of Eli's dare; the stolen one, sitting on top of the blue envelope. Clare felt her lungs ache inside at the sight of it. Everyone was looking at her now and her entire face was burning with pain. As someone finally managed to cut the video, Clare pushed herself away from an angry Adam and a shocked Fiona and spun around, her eyes narrowing into slits. She wanted to kill him. She wanted to take a knife and plunge it into his heart and let him know exactly how she felt.

When she moved forwards, everyone moved out of way, staring at her with shocked expressions. Clare took a deep breath, ignored the pain in her gut and made her way for the juice stand. Eli didn't even know what hit him. Clare stormed his way and slapped him across the cheek. Her palm stung with the impact but she didn't react; she was fighting a war between numbness and heartbreak.

"Clare-" Eli gasped, holding his cheek. "Clare-".

"No!" Clare struggled to keep it together. She turned and ran for the exit, disappearing through the doors.

Eli grimaced, knowing that everyone was staring at him, judging him. He turned to his right and saw Bianca and Jenna. Jenna waved to him with a controlled expression and Eli resisted the urge to smack her head off of a wall. He turned back around and suddenly saw a fist coming his way. He stumbled backwards, the juice stall behind him stopping his fall. Eli gasped, grabbing his eye and looking up to his assaulter. It was Adam and he glaring at Eli with the kind of hate you reserve for your killer.

"Adam" Fiona gasped, pulling him away. "Adam, leave him! We have to find Clare".

The sound of Clare's name brought Adam back and he took Fiona's hand as they made their way after Clare. Eli knew he deserved the slap and the punch. He deserved a lot more. But he wasn't the only one who had played a part in Clare's downfall. He turned back to Jenna and Bianca.

"What the hell did Clare ever do to you?" Eli screamed at them suddenly. "Is it because K.C dated her last year and you felt threatened? Are you actually that evil, Jenna?".

Jenna composed her face as she took a deep breath. "I saved that girl from your clutches" she raised her eyebrow.

"You're sick!" Eli shrieked, "You need help" he turned and stormed towards the doors, only to be confronted by Drew.

"Dude, leave Clare. We'll go somewhere-" Drew started.

"No!" Eli screamed at him, "Don't ever talk to me ever again! I asked you not to tell Jenna, what is wrong with you?".

"Eli, I never told her!" Drew cried back.

"He didn't" Jenna said slyly, stepping forwards. "A little birdie told me instead. Well, they emailed me but it's all the same".

"Let me guess?" Eli said in a bitter shaky breath. "The Dare Overlord?".

"Bingo" Jenna said, smirking.

Eli turned back to the doors, shoved Drew out of the way and made his way out.

"Eli!" Drew cried after his friend. "Eli!".

**oOo**

Clare felt her chest constrict with sobs as she stopped in the middle of the dark hallway. She sunk down to her knees and finally let herself cry after running from the hall for five minutes. Her mascara was smeared and her lipstick smudged. She clutched at her chest, wondering how anyone could possibly feel this much pain. How had this happened? She had given Eli everything she had.

How could she not see what he really was? God, she was such a fool. She moved in with him! She got matching tattoos! She let him touch her intimately! How could the one person on this Earth that she loved more than anything turn out to be someone who had broken her heart? Her head throbbed as she cried loudly, pushing her palms against the cold ground to keep herself from completely falling apart.

Everyone was right. Adam was right. Her mother was right. She had moved too fast, got blindsided and thought everything was perfect. How could someone be so stupid? She hated him, she hated him and she wanted to see him hurt like he had hurt her. It was all she could think about. She choked back another sob as her head fell down into her hands. She was completely broken. The aching dull pain in the pit of her stomach made her want to-

Clare jumped up, run over to the nearest bin and threw up violently. She wiped her mouth and felt the tears start all over again. Nothing was ever going to heal this betrayal. She could already feel the bitterness implant itself in her heart, making a permanent residence.

Everyone was probably laughing at her; Christian girl Clare thought Eli Goldsworthy actually loved her? Silly girl. She screamed suddenly, feeling so angry and so violated. Why the fuck had he moved in with her? Why the fuck hadn't he slept with her when she offered? Was it so he could drag it out? Or because he actually did need a place to stay? She had never felt so betrayed in her entire life.

She wanted to die.

"Clare" the sound of his voice made her shiver with disgust. He was no longer her sun in a sea of darkness. He was the anchor attached to her ankle as she drowned.

"Don't you dare come any closer" Clare spun around to face him. His cheek from where she had slapped him was bright red and his eye was bleeding. Someone had punched him. Adam probably. "How could you-" her voice choked on the brimming emotion she was trying to suppress. "How could you do that… to _me_?".

"Clare" Eli was crying as well. "I swear it's not like that, I swear! I got the dare when things were financially rough for me and for a _split second _I went along with it but I'd noticed you before that, I swear! I'd always noticed you! I just never had the guts to get to know you! And then when I got to know you, I knew I couldn't do the dare so I didn't! Even after we got together and you wanted to, I couldn't sleep with you because then everything we have wouldn't be real and it _is _real, Clare. I would die for you".

Clare laughed bitterly "I hate you!" she screamed. "Can you possibly understand what I'm feeling right now? You were the _one _person I could always depend on and it was all just a game to you, wasn't it? I was just some stupid little girl who needed a break from her parents and wanted to be free…" she shook her head. "I wish I'd never met you".

"Don't say that" Eli whispered, taking a step towards her. "Clare I love you! That's not a lie! And you love me too!".

"Don't you dare talk to me about _love_!" Clare barked angrily. "I gave you everything I had and you killed me!" she marched towards him and shoved his chest angrily. "Do you understand now, Eli?" she screamed into his face. "You have _killed_ me! I am broken!".

"Clare" Eli grimaced, walking towards her as she backed away. "Clare I love you, I'm so, so sorry. Please just listen to me and we can-".

"No! Stop lying to me!" Clare screamed, his hands wrapping around her wrists and stilling her.

"Clare. I never lied to you about anything" Eli said firmly, tears spilling out of his cheeks, "I love you. I want to live with you. I want to be with you. I told you everything, about my family, about Julia, about my past, I never lied to you. I love you" he cupped her face and she shoved his hands away, stumbling backwards. "Clare" he whispered, wincing in pain. He was crying again.

"I can't ever look at you the same way again" Clare whispered, tears of her own spilling down her cheeks. She met his gaze and held it. "I used to be so sure of everything in my life but now I don't know anything. I can never trust you again".

Eli took a deep breath, wiping his tears. "Please Clare" he tilted his head, pleading with her.

Clare shook her head, unable to contain another sob. "I want to scratch all the skin from my tattoo off and burn it" she hissed angrily at him. "I want to go back in time and stop you from ever placing your hands on me. I want to go back to before, when I never knew you. I want to burn you from my mind" she sucked in a sharp breath. "I made you my everything. I lived my whole life around you, I wanted you to have all of me, I would have given you my ring. You changed me and made me feel like I could move out and be independent" she shook her head, in pain, "And you have destroyed me".

"Clare" Eli begged.

"Stop saying my name!" Clare screamed suddenly. "You don't get to say my name anymore! You don't get to look at me or talk to me or think about me! I am nothing to you… And you are nothing to me".

Eli shook his head, tears spilling out. "I never meant to hurt you" he whispered thickly.

"But you did, Eli" Clare hissed back. "Everything you touch you kill. Your words may be your gift but your soul sucking touch is your curse" the way she spat at him, he wanted to crumble.

"I'm so sorry-" Eli choked on a bursting sob.

"You will find no absolution from me" Clare whispered. "If I have to live with this, then so do you" she turned and walked away from him, her tears spilling out as she did. He felt every step she took away from him on his heart like a thudding drum. He watching her retreating frame until she turned the corner.

And then he heard something clicking behind him. Eli turned, shaky and crying. He saw Fitz standing before him. And he saw the gun in his hand.

**. .  
**

**. .  
**

_Oh my heart it breaks every step that I take_

Clare couldn't see properly because of the tears, but she had to get away. The air was being stolen from her lungs and she almost felt like giving up completely. She heard footsteps from the corner and started moving again, towards the exit. Fresh air. All she wanted was fresh air.

_Can you make it feel like home, if I tell you you're mine_

She was almost there. Almost there. Just as she reached the doors, she was distracted by the same footsteps as before. But they were different somehow, louder, harder, faster. Just as she opened the doors to the exit, she turned and saw Eli, running towards her.

_Sometimes love is not enough and the road gets tough, I don't know why_

She would have left immediately if she hadn't of seen Fitz behind him. Everything slowed down. She was standing in the middle of the doorway, the cold air hitting her from one direction and the fear of what was in Fitz's hand hitting her from the other direction.

_Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain_

Eli was screaming her name and telling her to run but she was frozen, lost in the moment of something she knew would change everything. To her right, she faintly heard others coming in from another hallway junction. They were also screaming her name. Adam and Fiona.

_You like your girls insane_

She wasn't moving, even though everyone was screaming at her. Her eyes were locked on Fitz's gun and all she could think about was how the Janitor would have such a clean up if she were to be hit. Blood stains are the hardest to bleach out. You might as well burn everything away.

_Lost but now I am found_

The sound of a car engine from behind her startled her. She was standing in the middle of a exit, right before the school park car and she wasn't moving. Why wasn't she moving? She had the way out. She had an escape. Why wasn't she taking it? More screaming. More crying. More everything. Oh the dramatics, Clare thought idly.

_I can see but once I was blind_

And she saw Fitz, raising the gun, aiming it for her and Eli's general direction. Adam and Fiona were still at the side, screaming at her and Eli was still running towards her and she was just trapped in the moment. Trapped in the essence of the night and every bit of pain it held for her. Let Fitz pull the trigger. Maybe God would ease the heart ache she felt in the pit of her stomach.

_Don't make me sad, don't make me cry_

Clare turned her head idly towards the exit and gaped as the sound of the car starting up from the school car park began to get louder and louder as it made it's way towards her. What the... The car was actually heading for her. She gasped as she knew she would die either from the collision or from Fitz's gun. Eli seemed to notice the death car heading it's way towards them as he grabbed her hand and tried to pull her away.

_Choose your last words, this is the last time_

It took a moment for Clare to realise she was in Eli's arms again, standing just away from the doorway, staring at Fitz. He had no idea what was coming. He was still holding the gun and everything was just happening too fast. The car wasn't slowing down and Fiona was trying to grab Adam away. Clare was just frozen, staring at the gun.

And it was too late for her to process anything, as Eli shoved her away from him, her back being slammed against the lockers. The look they exchanged was not long enough as the raging car sped through the open doors, crashed into the school hallway and collided with Eli.

_Cause you and I, we were born to die  
_


	16. Epilogue: The Aftermath Deviation

**A/N: **HELLO! I'm thinking of wrapping this up in a sequel. I don't know, it's just hard to flesh it out properly without taking more time and chapters. It feels right to end it here and start it up in another story. Anyway, let me know what you think. If you don't think it's a good idea then I won't do it! I hope you want some seconds... hehe.

Anyway, the one where Eli wakes up, Morty is vandalized and Clare changes from church girl to danger seeking bitch.

Review :)?

* * *

**DARE ME, NOT**

**Epilogue:**

**"The Aftermath Deviation"**

**oOo**

The police interrogation room seemed more daunting than it was. It had small four walls, and a simple desk and chair. Clare stared at the police officer, wondering when she'd be allowed to leave. Wondering when the questions would stop. She still had blood on her hands, and mascara was still smeared down her face. This was ridiculous. Was she giving a statement, or were they interrogating her?

The police officer standing across from her asked, "Can you explain to me - again - in your own words, what happened after the car hit Eli? You said were knocked against the lockers. Is that correct?"

Clare nodded, licking her lips. It all came rushing back to her;

_The car collided with Eli, and his body rolled up the hood of the car before sliding back down to the ground as the car braked violently. Fitz had been knocked to his feet by the impact of the car crashing it's way inside. Adam, and Fiona appeared to be okay. Smoke coming from the car clouded Clare's vision of the cramped hallway, and she bent over Eli, pressing her fingers to his neck to check his pulse. It was faint, and Eli's eyes were shut._

_She was trembling and tears were spilling out of her eyes. 'Oh god,' was all she could think. The driver door of the car opened and Clare jumped up, walking through the smoke to see who it was. "I should have known," Clare said as she came face to face with Imogen, who had a cut forehead and bruised eye. Imogen was staring at Clare. The car had not been intended for Eli. It had been meant for her. "Call an ambulance!" Clare told Adam and Fiona suddenly._

_Imogen screamed, "You just can't leave well enough alone, can you?!"  
_

"_Everything was you," Clare realised, the car alarm going off suddenly. "It was all you. You sent Eli the dare, you made sure Jenna and Bianca knew about it. You were the one who was behind everything."_

"_Duh," Imogen shrugged, "I wasn't happy with the way things were. So I did something about it. So sue me?"_

"_I think I will," Clare hissed. She reached out, grabbed Imogen's head and whacked her body against the beeping and smoking car. Imogen screamed in pain as Adam wrestled the gun away from Fitz, and Fiona tended to the unconscious Eli. Everything was complete and total chaos._

_Before Clare even knew what was happening, she and Imogen were going head to head - for each other's. Imogen was throwing swings at Clare, and Clare was pushing Imogen against the lockers and slapping her face. They were beating the hell out of each other, until Imogen grabbed Clare's neck, yanked her closer to her and whispered, "I'm not the only one."_

"_What?" Clare demanded but her distraction caused Imogen the upper hand and she shoved Clare away from her, winding her in the stomach as she did so. Clare groaned, and glanced down to Eli. What the hell was she doing? Why was she beating chunks out of Imogen when the guy she loved was bleeding to death in their school hallway?_

"_I'm not the only one!" Imogen repeated to Clare before she made her escape through the damaged and wrecked exit. Every bone in Clare's body urged her to go after Imogen but she couldn't. She had to stay there, and make sure Eli was alive._

Clare grimaced. She had already gone over this with another police officer. "Yes," she said stressfully, "I attacked Imogen, we fought and struggled, and then she ran away. She was well gone by the time the ambulance and police turned up," she chewed on her bottom lip, "Can I go see Eli now?"

"He's still in critical condition," the police officer replied. "According to Mark Fitzgerald, you told Adam Torres to hold him down until the police arrived."

"That's right," Clare nodded back, "He had a gun. It was in the safety of everyone."

"The gun we found on Fitz was empty. If he would have shot anybody, then he would have shot blanks," the police officer frowned at her as he spoke. He paused, and added, "Fitz claims that he got a dare, from this 'Dare Overlord' to shoot five blanks into Eli's chest the night of the Senior Charity Auction. He swears all he wanted to do was to scare Eli. What do you think?"

"I think whoever owns a gun in the first place is a psycho," Clare blurted out before she saw the gun tucked snugly in the police officer's belt. She squirmed and then added, "It was all Imogen. She orchestrated everything. She's the Dare Overlord. She dared Fitz to go after Eli, but I don't know why."

"You seem to have a theory," the police officer said casually, "By all means. Share."

Clare leaned forwards, "Well, Imogen planned to kill me, that much is obvious. She could have slipped through the smoke from the driver's seat, and pretended she didn't do a thing. Imagine Eli's grief. If Imogen's plan had worked, I would have died on the same night we broke up, which is also the same night Fitz just happens to play Russian Roulette with his life. Eli would be emotionally unstable, inconsolable. Enter Imogen Moreno. She comforts him, becomes his rock, and then eventually marries him."

"Quite the imagination," the police officer muttered. "But Imogen didn't run you over, did she? She missed you."

"Because of Eli," Clare whispered, nodding. "He pushed me away into the lockers," her eyes snapped up to his, "Have you found Imogen yet?"

"We have some of the very best out looking for her as we speak," the cop replied. "Mark Fitzgerald has been reprimanded and your Principal has been alerted. I also had to call your parents, considering you're a minor."

"There is one thing I can't work out though," Clare murmured suddenly.

"What's that?" the cop asked.

"Imogen said something to me, before she ran," Clare replied slowly, thinking. "She said 'I'm not the only one.' What does that mean? That there's other Dare Overlords out there? Or that she's not working alone to kill me?"

"Once we find Imogen Moreno we'll be sure to make sure to flesh out every single detail," the police officer yawned slightly. He pushed a pad of paper and pen towards Clare, "I'm going to need your statement," he said, "In writing."

"Then you'll let me go?" Clare asked, hopeful. All she wanted to do was leave this horrible little room, and go see Eli.

**oOo**

Clare stared at Eli through the hospital window. He was lying on the hospital bed, wires and tubes and needles hooked up to him. She couldn't bare to step inside. All she could do was press her hand against the window and watch him, tears welling into her eyes. Helen was standing behind her. Randall had a lawyer emergency so he couldn't make it, and Jake and Glen had decided to stay back, on Helen's request.

Helen said softly, "Clare, come on. We should go. The Doctor said he would contact you when Eli decides to wake up."

"I'm not leaving," Clare whispered back. Her eyes closed for a split second. She turned to face her mother, "He saved my life and I told him I hated him. It was one of the last things I said to him," she looked down at the clean hospital floor, "What if that's the last thing he hears me say?"

Helen said nothing. Eli had four broken ribs, a broken arm, internal bleeding in his lungs, and a severe concussion. The Doctors had stopped the internal bleeding and scanned him for brain damage. They said he had a 60/40 percent chance of recovering. Both Helen and Clare knew that small reassurance wasn't enough. Eli could still die. And if he did, then so would she. Bullfrog was half way across the waters on his Navy training, it's not like he could rush back. The Doctors hadn't even been able to get a hold of him. That just made everything worse.

"I'll get us some coffee," Helen replied instead. She left Clare where she was and disappeared.

A couple of minutes after Helen had left, a voice interrupted Clare's staring and said, "He looks peaceful when he sleeps doesn't he?"

Clare glanced round and was puzzled to find a beautiful girl in a wheelchair next to her. She was wearing a hospital gown, and had smooth creamy skin, and long dark hair, and red natural lips. Her eyes sparkled under the florescent lights. Clare wondered why the hell a random stranger was even talking to her when her eyes caught sight of something gold around the girl's neck. It was a necklace, with the name '_Julia_' on it. Clare's stomach clenched.

"You're Julia Walker, Eli's ex?" Clare's mouth went dry. She looked good, for someone who was supposed to be in a frigging coma.

Julia's petite graceful eyebrows made a _V _shape in confusion. "Ex? You must of misheard, I'm Eli's girlfriend. We've been going out since forever," she glanced through the window, and sighed softly, "There's a couple of misplaced memories before my accident but I never would have thought that when I'd wake up, Eli would be two floors down from me."

"I'm sorry, what?" Clare gaped. What the hell was going on? "When did you wake up?"

"Eight hours ago," Julia replied, "My sister Natalie phoned Eli from the ward earlier tonight. My Doctor thought this blip would be the final thing; sink, or swim. And I swam, apparently. I wanted to walk, but my Doctor said I was too weak, hence the wheelchair. I just couldn't believe it when I found out that Eli had been knocked over."

Clare's mind was reeling. If Natalie had called Eli earlier that night, that explained Eli's freaked out reaction to the phone call he got before Jenna and Bianca went rouge. Eli's ex had no memory of them breaking up, and what's worse, her family didn't even bother to correct her? Spineless cowards, Clare thought darkly. She turned back to Eli, and wished she could tell Julia that Eli and her were going out now, but that wasn't exactly true either. Clare and Eli had broken up earlier that night, before the accident.

"So are you a friend of Eli's?" Julia inquired politely.

"You could say that," Clare mumbled, glancing down at the tattoo on her inner wrist. "Infinity times infinity," she whispered to herself.

"Sorry?" Julia asked.

"Nothing," Clare looked at the pretty model-esque girl. All of a sudden, it just felt wrong to be there. Standing next to Julia, and watching Eli. Maybe this was how it was supposed to happen. Maybe Eli and Julia were meant to be, separated by accidents and brought together by fate. A relationship halted… or destiny intervened? Clare felt sick with nausea. She had to leave. _Now_.

"Don't tell him I was here," Clare said to Julia, who was frowning. "Please," Clare added, "Don't," she turned and headed for the exit, ignoring Julia's confused reply, and the fact that her mother was still in the cafeteria getting coffee.

As soon as Clare stepped outside in the cold air, she bent over and wretched out her insides. She vomited for the second time that night and stumbled forwards, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She walked down the pavement, looking out when she saw Eli's hearse Morty coming her way. Clare felt panic fighting it's way into her throat. She had a flashback of the SUV that almost killed her that night, the one Imogen was driving.

What that Imogen behind Morty's wheel? Clare froze to the ground. She clutched the nearest banister and felt relief flood her veins when she saw that it was just Adam and Fiona in Eli's car. Adam pulled up beside Clare and he and Fiona jumped out.

"Hey," Adam said, "The cops dropped us off at the school after giving our statements so we could get his car. Is he okay?"

"He's out of surgery, and stable, for now," Clare answered, "He's got broken ribs, a broken arm and a concussion. The Doctors stopped his internal bleeding and they said he'll wake whenever his body wants to." Her voice choked in her throat. How could she tell them that Eli's ex comatose girlfriend was now awake and under the impression that she and Eli were still going out? Everything was so screwed up. From Eli, to Julia, to Imogen. Clare asked, "Did they find Imogen yet?"

Adam shook his head, "No. They're still out looking for her."

Fiona teared up, "Clare, I'm so sorry about-"

"Fiona," Clare cut her off, "How were you supposed to know she was a raving psycho? It doesn't matter. I'm not freaking out about her anymore. I'm freaking out about what she said. About not being the only one."

"What?" Fiona gawked.

"Yeah, she said that before she took off," Clare nodded, folding her arms tightly. "She said she wasn't the only one. I don't know if that means there's more Dare Overlords, or she wasn't working alone to kill me. Maybe the Dare Overlords were helping her, or maybe they weren't. I don't know anything anymore."

"Fitz is getting community service and suspended for three weeks for bringing a gun to school, even an unloaded one," Adam told Clare. "But I saw him on my way out of the station. He looked absolutely awful."

"He should," Clare narrowed her eyes, "If he hadn't had that gun, Eli would never have ran my way, and I would have been the one Imogen ran over, not him."

"She planned everything so well," Fiona said sadly, "From Eli's dare, to making me trust her, to daring Fitz to into scaring Eli with the gun, and she knew you would run out of the school because of the info she gave Jenna. She would have gotten away with it as well if you hadn't of walked round to the driver's door."

"She was counting on getting me," Clare replied, "She could have slipped out of the driver's seat in the smoke and acted like an innocent bystander."

"Do you think she was working with somebody else?" Adam asked Clare.

"I don't know," Clare shrugged weakly. "I hope not."

"Are you wanting to go back inside?" Fiona asked, "I was planning on visiting Eli."

"No, you two go in, see him," Clare nodded her head, "I just needed some air."

"Sure?" Adam frowned.

Clare nodded again. "Yeah. I can't handle hospitals right now. It's fine. Go."

Adam and Fiona hugged Clare each and then walked by her. Clare called after them, "Julia's awake."

"What?" Adam gaped, "Julia Walker? Eli's ex girlfriend? The one in the coma?"

"That one," Clare said sadly. "She thinks her and Eli are still dating. It's some warped coma memory thing. She can't remember their break up fight before her accident. So don't... tell her anything. Let her think what she wants to think."

"Clare," Fiona titled her head sympathetically.

"It's fine," Clare swallowed the lump in her throat, "Eli and I aren't together anymore. Let Julia think whatever she wants… And if anything happens… Let me know, okay?"

Adam nodded and he and Fiona headed towards the hospital. Clare turned back and caught sight of Eli's hearse Morty. She truly loathed that stupid frigging car. It was horrible. It literally embodied everything about death, and nothing about Eli. He had that style, but that's not who he was.

Clare began walking away from the hearse, until she caught a glimpse of the back. She just stood there. She couldn't help it. Images flooded towards her. Images of Eli's coffin, lying in that hearse. She felt sick again. He couldn't die. Could he? He was Eli Goldsworthy. He was crazy and confident, and insecure, and hot-headed and sure of what he wanted. He was Elijah Goldsworthy, her whole entire life. He couldn't die… right?

And then something in Clare just… _snapped._ She glanced around, and saw one of the metal poles that had come loose from the banister. She picked it up, and without hesitation, she lunged for the hearse with it. She didn't stop until her palms were almost bleeding from her tight grip. She smashed in the windows, dented the doors, wrecked the lights. She hit it harder and harder every single time, tears pouring out of her eyes.

She hated this night. She _hated_ it. She dropped the metal pole, her breath stolen from her lungs. She was completely broken. She leaned against the wrecked Morty and sobbed again, sliding down the slide until her legs hit the ground. She cried hysterically for everything that had gone wrong, and she cried for Eli.

Five minutes later, a car rolled up next to her. She didn't even care anymore. She didn't even care if it was Imogen back to finish her off. She just didn't care. The door opened and she recognized the shoes in front of her. Clare glanced up, and saw Alli, looking down at her with a torn face.

"Clare, what are you doing there?" Alli gaped.

Clare didn't reply.

The driver door opened and Sav stepped out, glancing down.

"Sav, help me get her up," Alli said as she bent down to pick Clare up. Sav hooked an arm around Clare's waist and they both set her on her feet.

"What are you doing here?" Clare whispered.

"You're my best friend, stupid," Alli said affectionately. "Sav and I snuck out with the car to find you after your mother phoned me and said you had disappeared from the hospital. She was really worried about you."

"I just didn't want to be in there anymore," Clare sighed sadly, "It was horrible."

"You can't be alone right now, until they catch Imogen," Sav said.

"Everybody knows?" Clare asked but she already knew the answer.

Alli nodded. "Everyone knows. Do you want me to come back to your apartment with you?"

Clare nodded, "I'd like that. I'll call my mom when I get home. I can't even deal with her right now."

"What about mom and dad?" Sav asked Alli.

"Tell them I left early in the morning," Alli replied. "Will you give us a lift to Clare's?"

Sav nodded back, and caught sight of Eli's wrecked car in the dark. "Oh my god. Who did that?"

Clare pushed her tears away and whispered, "I did."

Alli and Sav shared a quiet look and helped Clare into their car.

**oOo**

Eli fluttered open his eyes and glanced around. His vision was blurry, and his throat was dry. He wanted water, but he also wanted to know where Clare was. And then he saw something he couldn't believe. Julia was sitting in a wheelchair next to his bed, holding his hand and smiling at him with warmth in her eyes.

"Julia?" Eli croaked, and Julia held out a glass of water for him. He took it slowly and sipped at it slightly.

"I should go tell someone you're awake," Julia reached out to stroke his forehead.

"You're awake," Eli gasped, eyes wide. "What…"

"You don't remember my sister phoning you?" Julia tilted her head slightly, "Earlier tonight?"

Eli frowned. He breathed unevenly. "Yeah. I remember."

"I woke up right after that phone call," Julia grinned, "I couldn't believe it when Natalie told me you'd just been brought in. My mind is pretty much blown that we've been apart for a year, but now that you've woken up, everything is going to be okay. We can be together again."

Eli's brows knotted, "What do you mean?"

"It's okay, you're confused, you've just woken up after extensive surgery," Julia said soothingly, "We can talk after you've rested properly, but I'm going to be there for you, Eli."

"You are?" Eli gaped.

"Of course," Julia grinned widely, "You're my boyfriend after all."

Eli's stomach flipped. He frowned. Was _he _the one who was confused? Or was it really Julia? Everything was so jumbled in his mind… Where was Clare? And who knocked him over? And what happened to Fitz and his gun? "Where's Clare?" he asked suddenly.

Julia frowned back, "Clare? Is she another friend of yours? I've only met Fiona and Adam. They're just at the cafeteria getting something to eat. I didn't want to leave you though."

"I need to see Clare," Eli continued, "She's got shoulder length brown curly hair, fair skin, and pink lips. Have you seen her? Where is she?"

Julia opened her mouth to say something, but she suddenly stopped herself, and frowned.

"Eli!" Fiona cried from the doorway. She handed her cup to Adam and ran towards him, "Oh my god, you're awake!"

"Where's Clare?" Eli asked.

"She left a while ago," Adam said before Fiona replied. He hesitated and then said, "You deserved the punch in the eye, but I regret hitting you."

"I did deserve it," Eli nodded, "Can someone call Clare, please? What happened with Fitz? Is Clare okay? Who was driving the car?"

"I'm confused," Julia quipped.

"The gun Fitz had was empty, he said he was told to just scare you with it, from the Dare Overlord," Fiona replied, "Imogen was the Dare Overlord. She was the one who sent you the dare, and who told Jenna and Bianca. She also told Fitz to scare you with the gun. She was the one driving the car. She meant to hit Clare, but since you shoved Clare out of the way, she got you instead. And Imogen escaped, Eli. The police are still looking for her but they haven't found anything yet."

"Eli, what's going on?" Julia asked.

"Wait, _what_?" Eli cried, ignoring Julia, "I'm sorry, what? Imogen? But why would she want to hurt Clare?"

"She told Clare she wanted you, but you didn't want her," Fiona choose her words carefully because Julia was in the room. "So she went after Clare instead."

"I'm getting very confused now," Julia spoke up again, "Why would this Imogen girl go after Clare? And who is Clare?"

Eli looked to Adam and Fiona, "Can you give us a moment?" They both nodded and left the room, closing the door behind them. Eli looked over to Julia and said, "I'm so happy that you woke up, Julia. I mean, really. It's been one of the best things that's ever happened to me. You get to live your life like you deserve. But some things have changed, and some things had already changed before your accident."

"What are you trying to tell me, Eli?" Julia asked anxiously.

"Julia, you must have forgotten because of the accident," Eli replied, "But we had a fight before you were hit. We broke up. That's why you were hit. You biked off in a storm, and accidentally got hit by some jackass on the phone."

Julia pulled her hand away from Eli's and looked down. Tears welled into her eyes. She glanced back up and said, "I know."

"What?" Eli gasped.

"I remember everything," Julia began crying, tears streaming down her cheeks, "I know I shouldn't have acted like I didn't, but it's just been so hard, Eli. You don't know what it's like. I've been _asleep _for a year, and if I hadn't been in a coma, we probably would have gotten back together by now, don't you think?" she let out a shaky breath, "I just wanted everything to go back to the way things were."

Eli looked at her sadly. "I can't lie to you, Julia. When you were in your coma, I fell in love with a girl called Clare. And I still love her."

Julia nodded back, "I figured. I think I met her, earlier. She was standing outside your room but she left when I showed up. I guess I'm just the person to make people leave."

"You didn't make me leave, Julia," Eli shook his head, "We just didn't work out. I'm sorry."

"I have to tell you something," Julia whispered. Eli was silent so she added, "It wasn't the driver's fault."

Eli's eyebrows knotted. "What?"

"I can remember crying as I rode home," Julia hiccuped from her crying, "I remember hurting so badly, at the thought of losing you. It was horrible. So I saw a car coming up the road, and I don't know why I did it, but I biked across the road. I made the car hit me, I planned to die," she sniffled and rubbed her temples, "I don't know, it was just an impulsive thing, I was so heartbroken and it was stupid, and I wish I had never done it."

Eli lay, stunned. He literally couldn't believe it. "Julia!" he gasped, "Are you serious? The guy got death threats from local people, his house was egged and his property was vandalized! He got his license taken away, he lost his right to drive. He broke his arm!" Eli could not believe this. It just made him so angry.

"I'm so sorry," Julia sobbed harder, "I wasn't thinking straight! I just lost it."

"You need to talk to someone," Eli said, softer this time.

"I know, and I will," Julia nodded back. She whispered, "I hope we can still be friends, Eli. I really, really, do. I miss you so much."

Eli said, "We will be friends, Julia," he paused, "Can you go get Adam and Fiona?"

"I'll get your Doctor as well, let them know you're awake," Julia wheeled the wheelchair towards the door. She reached out, opened it and wheeled herself out. Eli sank back in his bed. Tears swarmed into his eyes. He glanced down to the inside of his wrist and saw the tattoo he shared with Clare.

He took a deep breath and turned his head away.

**oOo**

**Two Weeks Later**

"As much as I love having Alli over, she has got to stop eating all my cereal," Fiona said to Adam as she scoured the kitchen cupboards looking for her favourite cereal.

"At least she's not obsessed over finding Imogen like Clare," Adam replied, "She's been out the last ten nights looking for Imogen. And she comes back every morning, exhausted and refusing to deal with her emotions."

"Eli's getting out soon?" Fiona asked Adam instead of talking about Clare. Fiona felt a big amount of guilt whenever Imogen was mentioned. Fiona secretly felt that she had invited Imogen into their circle, and maybe things would have turned out differently if she hadn't.

"Yeah, really soon," Adam nodded.

Alli came wandering down from the hallway, having stayed in the fourth unused bedroom for the past week since the school had been closed temporarily since the Charity Auction night, so they could fix the damage the SUV did when Imogen crashed into it.

"Is Clare back yet?" Alli asked, yawning.

"Still out," Adam replied, "She's been out since midnight. Left a message at six to let us know she hadn't been murdered."

"Oh, too soon to joke," Alli rubbed her eyes.

The door suddenly opened and Clare burst inside, dropping her bag and rushing over to the television to turn it on.

"What is it?" Alli asked, worried.

"Did you not see the news?" Clare gasped, picking up the remote to switch the channel to local news. "I heard about it in Bullfrog's car. A girl was found in the ravine this morning."

"A girl?" Fiona held her breath, her stomach twisting in knots.

"The radio in the car said she hadn't been identified yet," Clare replied as she turned up the volume. Everyone huddled around the small television screen to watch the news. The news reporter currently talking on the screen was standing in front of the local ravine, with an ambulance parked a few yards away from her;

"…_small town resident Bill Brown was particularly stunned to find the body after his usual morning walk at 6am. For people just tuning in, local police have identified the strangled body as one Imogen Moreno, a local high school student at Degrassi. Imogen Moreno was wanted in connection for a hit and run on fellow student Eli Goldsworthy, who is currently recovering in hospital. Police first suspected that Moreno's death was suicide but after further investigation have officially ruled her demise as homicide. Any witnesses have been urged to come forward and contact local police. More on this story tomorrow. Back to Tom in the studio with the Red Eagles game results-"_

Clare switched off the television and sat back.

"Oh my god," Fiona gasped, "Who would kill Imogen?"

"Who wouldn't?" Adam muttered.

"Adam!" Fiona gaped.

"He's got a point," Clare swallowed the lump in her throat, "Anyone could of. I could have killed her, you could have killed her, Adam could have killed her, even Fitz, after he found out she was the one who dared him. Anyone could have had motive," she sat back, "This just proves my theory though. Imogen wasn't working alone to kill me. Someone else was. And whoever was working with her decided she had to go. It was bye-bye Imogen and hello murder."

"She was a liability," Alli agreed, "Who do you think it is?"

"I don't know," Clare licked her lips, "Isn't it usually the ones you least suspect?"

"I don't know, guys," Fiona spoke up, "I think Imogen was working alone. Why would anyone want to hurt Clare?"

"A bunch of people, actually," Clare stood up, walking over to the window. "There's Jenna, Bianca, K.C, Jake. They all don't like me."

"Yeah, but we're talking about murder here, Clare," Fiona stood up as well, "You can't just accuse somebody of murder because you think they don't like your personality."

Clare's phone beeped and she pulled it out, staring down hard at the screen.

"What is it?" Alli asked.

Clare raised up her eyebrows and turned her phone around so they could all see it. The text read;

**From:** Blocked Number

**Message: **_Bet you think you're safe now that Imogen's gone. Guess again, Clare-bear. I'm still here, and I keep my promises. And I promise to see you soon!_

_Love, The Dare Overlord._

Adam's mind reeled, "What the hell was that?"

"The real mastermind," Clare pushed back her hair, "Imogen was just a small pawn in the big fish's game. Whoever's behind this text was rigging the whole thing."

"It has to be someone you know," Alli said, "My Sociology teacher said that 67 percent of violent crimes are committed by people that you know. It makes sense this is personal. So who could it be?"

"Anyone," Clare sighed, "It could be anyone."

"It could even been one of us," Adam said quietly, causing the whole room to turn awkward.

"That's going too far," Fiona shook her head, "Clare, you can trust us. We'll take care of you. I can drive you to the police, and we can show them the text."

"Why in heaven's name would we do that?" Clare titled her head slightly, walking over to the window to stare out of it.

"So we can get this person caught," Fiona said like it was obvious.

"But then I wouldn't get to give them my own brand of personal justice, and where's the fun in that?" Clare replied. She turned back around and they all saw it: Clare had changed. She wasn't Clare Edwards; good girl. She was something new. Something entirely different.

Adam frowned when he saw Clare's bare neck. Where was her religious cross necklace? He glanced at her fingers and saw her missing promise ring. Where was her ring? "Where's your necklace?" Adam asked.

Clare wasn't really paying attention as she replied softly, "It must have fell off at some point. I'm not exactly sure when that happened."

_Me neither,_ Adam thought darkly. He hadn't exactly noticed Clare's immediate change when it happened either.

"So what are you going to do?" Alli asked, changing the subject.

"I'm going to find out who's behind this," Clare replied, face hardening. "And then I'm going to kill them."

Everyone stared.

Clare smiled sweetly, "Kidding," then she shrugged slightly and asked, "Does anyone want some cake? I'm feeling like I might want some seconds!"


End file.
